


Love Talk

by thotiny



Series: amor. [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst with a Happy Ending, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Friends With Benefits, Fuckbuddies, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Mentioned Other K-pop Artist(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:42:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 61,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24864757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thotiny/pseuds/thotiny
Summary: In which Hongjoong and Seonghwa occasionally fuck, but Hongjoong always says “No homo, though,” after their sessions.
Relationships: Choi Jongho/Kang Yeosang, Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Jeong Yunho/Song Mingi, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Series: amor. [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1845103
Comments: 135
Kudos: 198





	1. The Ask

**Author's Note:**

> btw they’re all the same age.

If you ask Seonghwa when his and Hongjoong’s ‘fucking around’ thing happened, Seonghwa would respond with ‘I don’t know.’ He’d be telling the truth. But if he does give it some thought, he would say it started around June twenty-first. It was summer, and they had all finished their freshman year of college. Lee Sunmi held a party at her house, and they all went. They got drunk, and by around one-sixteen in the morning, Seonghwa went up to Hongjoong, and whispered, “Did you know that I once had a dream of you fucking me senseless against the wall?” Hongjoong was too drunk to think rationally, so of course, he fucked Seonghwa senseless against the wall. 

The next day, they were both confused as to why they had woken up in the same bed, naked, with Seonghwa’s ass feeling sore. It seemed as if they then remembered what had happened at one in the morning, with Seonghwa’s face turning beet red, and awkward tension growing in the air. Hongjoong was the first to speak up, but Seonghwa wasn’t expecting him to say: “No homo, though.”

After that, it's just a ‘thing’ that happens between them. Obviously, no feelings attached, and they only do it to get each other off. Their friends don’t know, and neither Hongjoong nor Seonghwa are planning on telling them. Ever. Their thing is going to be soon over, anyway.

Right?

The weird thing is Hongjoong always says “no homo, though” after their sessions finished. Seonghwa didn’t pay much attention to it at first, but he soon did. Now, he wonders if Hongjoong is a closeted gay, or just ‘straight.’

“Hyung, are you even paying attention to me?” Yeosang whines, breaking Seonghwa out of his thoughts.

“S-sorry,” he apologizes. “I…I was just thinking.”

Yeosang rolls his eyes. “Obviously. Did you even listen to me, though?”

Seonghwa looks at Yeosang apologetically. “No, sorry. What is it? I promise I’ll pay attention this time.”

“Forget about it,” Yeosang mutters, taking a sip of his coffee. “Is everything okay? You seem a bit fidgety.”

“I’m just worried about the test for my literature class,” Seonghwa partially lies. “Speaking of which, I still need to study for it.”

“Either way, you’re going to pass it,” Yeosang pouts. “It’s not fair. Why can _you_ be smart, and the rest of us can’t?”

Seonghwa sends Yeosang a smug smile, getting up. “Perks of being the oldest, Yeosang-ah. See you later.”

“Bye.” The younger waves at him and Seonghwa sends the raven-haired male a small smile, before walking toward the dorm that he shares with Yunho. The two met on their first day and immediately clicked after that. Just as the rest of their group. Well, Seonghwa met Yeosang, San, and Mingi back in first grade, and they have stayed together throughout the rest of the years, even up until college, surprisingly. They met Hongjoong in tenth grade, Yunho in their freshman year of college, Wooyoung in their senior year of high school, and Jongho in sixth grade. Surprisingly or not, they all get along with Yunho very well—especially Mingi.

“Yunho?!” Seonghwa calls out, just in case.

“I’m in my room!” Yunho calls back, but Seonghwa can hear his door opening. “You’re back early.”

“I have to study for my test,” Seonghwa explains. “Are _you_ studying?”

“No…” Yunho sheepishly replies. “I was too busy texting Mingi.”

Seonghwa smirks at Yunho, taking off his coat. It's the beginning of September, and their sophomore year, so it is a bit chilly outside. “Mingi, huh? You guys getting together anytime soon?”

Yunho’s face turns a light red. “W-we barely know each other.”

“Yunho, we’ve known each other for a year,” Seonghwa deadpans, walking toward the kitchen. “It’s fine if you get with Mingi. We all ship you two together, anyway.”

Yunho looks at Seonghwa, a bit surprised. “Y-you do?” 

“Of course,” the older answers. “It’s obvious you two have feelings for each other. Hell, Hongjoong and I even bet on it.”

“D-do you think he knows?” Yunho asks, biting his bottom lip nervously.

“No,” Seonghwa assures, serving himself a cup of water. “Just ask him, Yunho. If he says no, you’ll get over it. If he says yes, then great. Ask him out. You’re a big boy.”

Yunho nods, excusing himself, before heading back inside his room. Seonghwa lets out a small smirk, and walks toward his room, grabbing his backpack on the way. He takes out his notebook and a few writing utensils. He grabs his literature textbook from his desk and sits on his bed. He starts studying—well, tries to—when his phone suddenly starts to ring. A bit confused, Seonghwa grabs his phone from where it’s charging and checks the caller ID: Hongjoong.

A strange warmth spreads over Seonghwa, but he shrugs it off, finding it weird. He answers the call: “H-hello?”

“Hey, Seonghwa,” Hongjoong greets. “What are you doing right now?”

“S-studying.” Somehow, Seonghwa can’t stop himself from stuttering when he’s around Hongjoong. “W-why?”

“I was planning on meeting up,” he explains. “But if you’re busy it’s fine. I’ll call you later, then.”

“O-okay,” Seonghwa says, not knowing what else to say. “B-bye, Hongjoong.”

“Bye.”

Their call ends, and Seonghwa pulls his phone away from his ear, staring at the screen of his phone, which soon turns off. Seonghwa sighs, wondering why his heart is beating so loudly against his chest. He finds himself wanting to call Hongjoong back to see what he wants to do with him, but Seonghwa forces himself to concentrate on studying. He can’t fail his literature class when it’s literally the beginning of his second year in college. Sighing, Seonghwa places his phone down and turns back to his textbook.

\--

“Hey, everyone!” Seonghwa and Yunho both hear San greet from their door.

“San, anyone ever teach you to knock?” Seonghwa jokes, heading toward the younger to hug him.

San chuckles, hugging Seonghwa back. “Of course, but since you two are two of my besties, I figured why should I? This is basically my third home.”

“That’s true,” Yunho agrees, hugging San, too. “Where are the rest?”

“They’re unloading stuff from Mingi’s car,” San explains. He then sees the Chinese takeout bags on the couch and the pieces of paper and textbooks on the coffee table. He looks up at Yunho in surprise. “I’m not surprised Seonghwa-hyung’s studying, but _you’re_ studying, too, Yunho?”

“Shut up.” The brown-haired male lightly shoves San, who lets out a laugh. “I need good grades, too, you know.”

San cheekily smiles. “I do.” 

They then hear footsteps by the door, and the three look at it, seeing Hongjoong, Yeosang, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho walking inside with bags in their hands.

“Hey, everyone,” Hongjoong greets, his gaze lingering on Seonghwa a bit too long for the raven-haired male’s comfort.

“Hey,” Yunho returns. “Need any help?”

“We’re fine,” Yeosang assures, placing the bags down. “Seonghwa-hyung, have you really been studying all this time?”

“Of course he is,” Mingi replies for the oldest. “You all know how much of a nerd Seonghwa-hyung is.”

“Shut up,” the oldest mutters, playfully shoving Mingi. “What’d you guys bring?”

“Stuff,” Wooyoung answers, making Seonghwa glare at him.

“We brought a bit of food,” Jongho explains, nudging Wooyoung. “And Hongjoong-hyung insisted that we brought along beer, too.”

“You guys do know it’s a school day, right?” Seonghwa says, raising an eyebrow.

“Have some fun, Hwa,” Hongjoong says, swinging his arm around Seonghwa’s shoulder, making his heartbeat increase. “We’ll be responsible.”

“I’m not cleaning after you guys,” the oldest warns, starting to melt in Hongjoong’s embrace.

“Yeah, yeah.” Yunho rolls his eyes. “Any of you hungry?”

“I am!” everyone replies.

“Hyung, care to help me in the kitchen?” Yunho asks nicely, and Seonghwa nods, sad that he has to leave Hongjoong.

Seonghwa and Yunho end up making Korean fried chicken since that’s what the others brought. They end up half trying to studying, and the other half fooling around. The others soon start eventually leaving around twelve fifty-nine a.m., despite what the others said earlier. Seonghwa and Yunho clean up after the others, but they don’t really mind.

“Seonghwa, can you come with me for a sec?” Hongjoong says, as Seonghwa is throwing away the trash.

The ravenette is a bit surprised for a second, before he nods, his face heating up. Yunho looks after them in amusement, but they disappear into the hallway. They end up in Seonghwa’s room, Hongjoong closing the door, and pushing Seonghwa up against it. His hands capture Seonghwa’s waist, and Seonghwa looks at Hongjoong in surprisement.

“What are you doing, Hongjoong?” Seonghwa whispers. “Yunho’s here, too.”

“I know,” Hongjoong mutters, his thumb grazing Seonghwa’s lips. “But we’re not going to fuck, you nasty. I just want to talk to you in private.”

“Couldn’t that wait?” he says. 

“Nope,” Hongjoong replies, popping the p. He pulls away, Seonghwa oddly missing the warmth of Hongjoong’s arms around him. “I need you to come with me tomorrow. That’s why I called you.”

“Where?” he questions.

“A dinner party that my parents are holding,” Hongjoong explains, letting out a sigh. “They keep bugging me to bring a date, so I have to. Besides, it’d be nice to dress up, right? You look really pretty all dolled up, Hwa.” He leans in toward Seonghwa’s ear, licking the shell, making Seonghwa shiver. Hongjoong pulls away with a smirk. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow around five.” With that, Hongjoong walks out of the room, leaving Seonghwa there, shocked. 

“Bye, hyung!” he hears Yunho call out to Hongjoong before the door closes.

Seonghwa lets out a groan, sliding down against the wall. Why does his heartbeat so much when he’s around Hongjoong?

\--

“So, you’re saying Hongjoong-hyung invited you to his parents’ dinner party, and you’re saying you two are still ‘just friends’?” Yeosang recalls as Seonghwa finishes telling them what happened last night.

“Yes, pay attention, Yeosang,” he sighs, biting his bottom lip. “He’s going to pick me up in seven hours, and I don’t even know what to wear.”

“Well, thankfully today is Friday, which means none of us have class,” San says. “And thankfully, Hongjoong-hyung has a fashion designer minor, and organizes our outfits. Do you have any fancy clothes, hyung?”

“They’re in the back,” Seonghwa mutters. 

“So, are you and hyung still just friends, or…?” Mingi asks, looking at Seonghwa with an eyebrow raised.

“We’re still friends, Mingi,” the oldest says, even though he isn’t that sure. “His parents just keep bugging him to bring a date, and since the rest of you are younger, already have boyfriends, except Mingi, he decided to go for me.”

“Are you sure that’s the only reason?” Yeosang teases.

Seonghwa glares at Yeosang but looks away. “M-maybe.”

“I found the perfect outfit!” San suddenly squeals, making the other three look at him. 

“That outfit is perfect,” Mingi states. “Hyung, go shower.”

“I already did.”

“Then go change!” Yeosang exclaims. 

“Can you guys give me some privacy?” Seonghwa questions, feeling nervous underneath the youngers’ gazes.

“We’ve all seen each other naked, but fine.” San rolls his eyes, and the younger three turn around.

“Thank you,” Seonghwa mutters, starting to undress. Once he's just in his boxers, he changes into the outfit San chose for him: a white and light blue striped long-sleeved button-up tucked into black jeans, a white leather vest on top. 

Mingi playfully sniffles. He and the other two had turned around whilst Seonghwa was barely pulling up the jeans over his legs. “Beautiful. Now for your hair and makeup.”

The four banter and fight about what type of hair and makeup Seonghwa should have for a dinner party for the next hour. They finally agree on a decision and Yeosang does Seonghwa’s hair, whilst San does Seonghwa’s makeup. Yeosang brushes Seonghwa’s raven hair, parting his bangs to the side, the strands dangling in front of his left eye. San puts brown eyeshadow around Seonghwa’s eyes, covers it with a light coat of glitter, and puts pink lipgloss on his lips. Mingi does the jewelry: a thin silver necklace around Seonghwa’s neck, and a paperclip earring in his left ear.

“Isn’t this a bit too much?” he says, looking at himself in the mirror.

“No,” Mingi frowns. “You look beautiful, hyung.”

“Thanks.” Seonghwa smiles at the younger three, getting up. He grabs his phone, turning it on to check the time; two-twenty p.m. “Wow, it’s really early. Hongjoong said he was going to pick me up around five.”

“Then let’s watch _Criminal Minds_ ,” Yeosang suggests excitedly. “I’m barely on episode twenty-one in season one, so I need to hurry up.”

“I’m in!” San and Mingi squeal in unison, following Yeosang into the living room.

Seonghwa shakes his head, but still follows behind the younger three.

\--

When it's four twenty-two, Seonghwa gets a message from Hongjoong that he’d be a bit late, because of traffic. Seonghwa assures him it’s fine, but wonders why Hongjoong is out in the street when it is barely four-thirty, and he promised to pick him up at five. Seonghwa shrugs it off and pays attention to his friends. But when it is five twenty-three, they all hear a knock at the door. Seonghwa heads toward the door to open it, but what he sees next surprises him: Hongjoong is dressed in a simple black turtleneck tucked into beige khakis, a black belt around his waist. He has some light makeup on, but that's it. And Seonghwa is over here, stressing about what to wear and what makeup he should have on.

“Hey,” Hongjoong greets, raking his eyes down Seonghwa’s body. “You look nice.”

“Th-thanks,” he stutters. “C-come in.”

“We actually have to leave now,” Hongjoong says. “We’re late.”

Seonghwa nods and quickly gathers his stuff. He and Hongjoong say bye to Yeosang, San, and Mingi, heading out the door. They both walk out of the building, and toward Hongjoong’s car.

“H-how long are we going to stay over there?” Seonghwa asks as he gets inside the vehicle.

“Around two hours,” he replies. “We won’t be there for long, Hwa.”

The ravenette nods, buckling himself in. Hongjoong soon turns the car on and starts driving. The car ride is silent, and that makes Seonghwa think in peace. His breathing is a bit unusual, but then he catches a strange smell. It smells like perfume. Specifically _feminine_ perfume.

That means only one thing.

Hongjoong had a female in his car.


	2. The Dinner Party

Seonghwa starts to feel uncomfortable, but mostly sad that he isn’t the only one Hongjoong is messing around with. Hongjoong is the only one Seonghwa is messing around with, so he hoped it was both mutual. Turns out it isn’t. Seonghwa lets out a frown, looking out the window. Hongjoong notices his sudden change of mood but doesn’t question it.

Around fourteen minutes later, Hongjoong parks the car in front of a tall building. Seonghwa recognizes it as the Kim Industries building. He knows Hongjoong’s parents are famous CEOs, but he’s never met them face to face.

“We’re here,” Hongjoong announces, turning the car off. “Ready to go?”

Seonghwa nods, unbuckling himself. They get out of the car, and Seonghwa notices that Hongjoong doesn’t reach for his hand. Shouldn’t he grab his hand if he wants his parents to know he brought along a date?

“Hongjoong?” Seonghwa calls out, as they walk toward the elevator.

“Yeah?”

“Were you lying to me?” 

“About what?” Hongjoong presses the up button, waiting for the elevator doors to open.

“About me being your date.”

Hongjoong doesn’t look at Seonghwa. The doors soon open, and Hongjoong walks in, Seonghwa reluctantly following behind him. The doors close, and Hongjoong finally looks at Seonghwa.

“Yes, I was lying,” Hongjoong admits.

“Why?” Seonghwa frowns. “You didn’t have to lie to me to get me to come with you.”

“I know.” Hongjoong shrugs, leaning against the wall. He doesn’t say anything else after that, so Seonghwa doesn’t, either. The doors soon open, and they both walk out. Hongjoong leads Seonghwa toward a room, the two already hearing the music and chatter from outside the room. Hongjoong opens the door and the two walk inside the room. Many people are wearing fancy clothes, drinking and talking with other people. Seonghwa feels out of place.

“Where are your parents?” he asks, seeing the two nowhere to be found.

“We’re not going to them right now,” Hongjoong mutters, grabbing Seonghwa’s arm.

“Then where are we going?”

“You’ll see.” A small smirk grows on Hongjoong’s face. Seonghwa looks up to see where they’re headed, seeing the bathroom. Now he gets why Hongjoong is leading him there. Once they're inside, Seonghwa realizes it's a single bathroom, with no other stalls. He feels Hongjoong pushing him up against the wall, and Seonghwa doesn’t complain. Hongjoong doesn’t waste a second before connecting their lips, wrapping Seonghwa’s legs around his waist.

“H-Hongjoong, we’re in public,” Seonghwa says, trying not to concentrate on the _amazing_ feeling of Hongjoong’s lips on his neck.

“So?” Hongjoong replies, his hands groping Seonghwa’s ass cheeks, and pulling them slightly apart. “I’m the son of the CEOs; they can’t do anything to me. Besides, you’ll be quiet, won’t you, doll?”

At the nickname, Seonghwa internally groans, nodding. He lets Hongjoong ravish his neck, entangling his fingers in Hongjoong’s brown hair. The younger trails his hands down, until they are taking off the white leather vest Seonghwa has on, and unbuttoning the older’s shirt, sliding it off his delicate shoulders. Seonghwa lets out a moan, closing his eyes, as he feels Hongjoong’s soft lips press kisses against his collarbone, his fingers lightly tweaking his nipple, but it's enough to make Seonghwa moan.

“H-Hongjoong,” he whines, looking at the younger through hooded eyes.

“Be patient, doll,” he whispers, going down on his knees. He slowly unbuttons Seonghwa’s jeans, sliding the jeans and the boxers down Seonghwa’s nice legs. The ravenette shudders at the slight cold, but Hongjoong warms them up by pressing a few kisses on the skin. Hongjoong grabs Seonghwa’s dick, pumping it a bit, before putting the tip into his mouth. Seonghwa immediately moans, his hands going to fist Hongjoong’s brown hair. The male lets Seonghwa, soon lowering his mouth, and taking all of the older in. The back of Seonghwa’s dick hits Hongjoong’s mouth, and Seonghwa can’t help but thrust his hips. Hongjoong lets out a small grunt, pinning the older’s hips against the wall. “Behave, doll.”

Seonghwa lets out a small whine but obeys. Hongjoong bobs his head up and down, giving Seonghwa an amazing blow job. Seonghwa soon cums into Hongjoong’s mouth and the brunette spits it out, wiping the remaining off his chin. He connects their lips, Seonghwa finding it a bit strange to taste himself, but he doesn’t mind, for the most part.

Hongjoong’s hands trail down Seonghwa’s body, wrapping the older’s legs around his waist again. Hongjoong came prepared and gets out lube from the pocket of his pants. He coats three fingers with it, and slowly inserts one inside Seonghwa. The older winces a bit at the cold but is used to it by now. Hongjoong soon puts another one in, plunging them a bit deeper, and curls his fingers, making Seonghwa let out a small whine. Hongjoong finally inserts his last finger, scissoring them around Seonghwa’s hole.

“Hongjoong,” he drawls.

“Tell me what you want, doll,” Hongjoong commands, plunging his fingers in deeper.

“I…I want you inside of me,” Seonghwa breathes, his irises filled with lust. Hongjoong nods, quickly taking out his fingers. He coats his cock with lube and grabs the condom from his pocket. He slowly starts entering Seonghwa, his cock stretching him out, and Seonghwa lets out a whine. It isn’t the first time he’s had Hongjoong’s cock inside of him, but he always forgets how the stretch feels. “S-start moving, please.”

“As you wish,” Hongjoong replies huskily, and he slowly starts moving his hips. Seonghwa lets out a moan, his lips finding Hongjoong’s again. They kiss passionately, no lust behind it, and Seonghwa wraps his arms around Hongjoong’s neck, bringing their bodies closer together. Hongjoong soon starts thrusting harder, his balls slapping against Seonghwa’s thighs. The ravenette bites his bottom lip, trying to hold back his moans. “Let me hear you,” he whispers, pulling on Seonghwa’s bottom lip with his teeth. “No one else is going to hear you.”

Seonghwa nods, letting out his held back moans. Hongjoong grips his hips, thrusting harder and rougher until he finds Seonghwa’s sweet spot. Seonghwa’s eyes roll to the back of his head, feeling nothing but pleasure. He soon feels his release coming, and lets out the loudest moan he’s let out so far. Hongjoong thrusts faster, encouraging Seonghwa to cum. The male soon does, letting out a small scream, as the white liquid coming from his dick coats his stomach, and Hongjoong’s lower abdomen. Hongjoong soon follows after, cumming into the condom. Before either of them can say anything, though, they hear a knock at the door.

“Hello? Can you hurry up, please? I need to use the bathroom.”

“We’ll be out in a sec,” Hongjoong calls, not seeming to be bothered by using ‘we’, instead of ‘I.’

“H-Hongjoong,” Seonghwa hisses, hitting the younger’s shoulder.

“What?”

“N-never mind,” Seonghwa mutters.

Hongjoong doesn’t say anything else, pulling out of Seonghwa. The older one lets out a small hiss, but they start changing. Just as Seonghwa is buttoning up his shirt, reaching for his vest, Hongjoong says: “No homo, though.”

Seonghwa shakes his head, and they both get out of the bathroom. Hongjoong looks around, and he quickly walks away, dragging Seonghwa with him. The older isn’t really that surprised that they end up at the bar.

“A-are your parents going to be here any soon?” he asks, sitting down on one of the stools.

“They’re already here,” Hongjoong says, ordering a whiskey and a cup of water.

Seonghwa’s eyes slightly widen. “Really? Where?”

Hongjoong motions toward somewhere with his chin and Seonghwa looks toward it, seeing Hongjoong’s parents dressed in fancy clothes, talking with another male. They soon notice Hongjoong and Seonghwa and excuse themselves.

“Hongjoong,” his mother coos, wrapping her arms around her son’s neck. “Ah, it’s nice to see you again.”

“Hey, mom,” he greets shortly. Hongjoong looks at his father, his small smile disappearing. “Hello, father.”

“Hello, Hongjoong,” the male greets back before his eyes settle on Seonghwa. “Seonghwa, right?”

“Yes, sir,” he replies, a bit nervously.

“Are you Hongjoong’s date?” Hongjoong’s father asks.

“No,” Hongjoong replies for Seonghwa immediately. “We’re just friends, father. Besides I’m not into guys, remember?”

“Right,” his father mumbles. “And you better not be.”

Seonghwa’s eyes slightly widen. He never knew Hongjoong’s father is homophobic. Hongjoong’s mom doesn’t seem like it, but she probably agrees with her husband. Seonghwa feels sadness wash over him, realizing that he and Hongjoong don’t stand a chance of being a couple. Especially because of the news he just found out. 

“You can’t control my love life,” the youngest scoffs. “If I want to be with a guy, I will be.”

“Kim Hongjoong-”

“Can you guys not fight here?” his mom interrupts in a low voice. “There are people around.”

Hongjoong and his father glare at each other, before Hongjoong turns to finish his whiskey. Seonghwa stares down at his water, not knowing what to say. Hongjoong’s mother soon sits next to him, though, ordering a drink, and the two are engulfed in a conversation.

\--

Hongjoong was lying about staying there for just ‘two hours.’ They end up staying until twelve-o-two a.m. Seonghwa is just glad it is Friday, and he doesn’t have classes tomorrow. When Hongjoong finally decides to leave, Seonghwa is already at the door, looking at Hongjoong expectantly.

“I thought you said two hours,” Seonghwa whines, as he takes off his shoes, the two of them walking toward the elevator.

“Stop whining,” Hongjoong grumbles, pressing the up button. “I lost track of time, okay?”

“It’s fine,” Seonghwa mutters, the elevator doors opening. The two walk inside, engulfed in silence.

“You want me to drop you off at your place?” Hongjoong asks.

“Why are you asking?” Seonghwa says.

Hongjoong shrugs. “Just am. Do you?”

Seonghwa now gets what Hongjoong means. “No, I don’t.”

“Good.”

\--

The next morning, Seonghwa wakes up to an empty bed. His ass is a bit sore, but he can deal. Sighing, Seonghwa sits up, already knowing what this means. Whenever he wakes up to an empty bed, that means he has to go to his place. Hongjoong’s roommate is Mark Tuan, but the male doesn’t mind Seonghwa being over. Hell, they're even friends. Yet, Seonghwa still has to leave. He slips on his clothes and walks outside, surprised to see Mark in the kitchen, making breakfast.

“Morning,” Seonghwa greets.

“Morning, Seonghwa,” Mark greets back. “Want breakfast?”

“No thanks, hyung,” Seonghwa replies. “Need to go back to my place.”

“You know, I could talk to Hongjoong about letting you stay,” Mark offers. Unsurprisingly, he knows about Hongjoong’s and Seonghwa’s ‘thing’—hence why he is Hongjoong’s roommate, once heard them, and once walked in on them—but promised he won’t say anything to anyone.

“It’s fine, hyung,” Seonghwa assures, even though it isn’t. “Thanks for the offer, though. See you later.”

“Be safe!” Mark calls after him, and Seonghwa thanks him, before closing the door. He walks back toward his dorm, hoping Yunho isn’t there. If he is, he’d bombard Seonghwa with questions, and Seonghwa doesn’t want to deal with them right now. Thankfully, when he gets to his dorm, Yunho isn’t there, the note he left on the fridge saying he's out with Mingi. Seonghwa smirks, taking out his phone, and texts Mingi and Yunho ‘good luck ;)’. He receives a ‘thanks hyung’ from both of them.

“Wish I had someone to be with,” he mutters to himself, grabbing a bowl and the cereal box. Seonghwa starts eating his breakfast when he’s surprised by the door opening. He isn’t surprised to see Yeosang.

“Hey,” the raven-haired male greets, closing the door behind him. “Have you seen Yunho and Mingi?”

“They’re out on a date,” Seonghwa informs. “Why?”

“Finally!” Yeosang squeals. “I didn’t see Mingi in his room, so I started getting worried. By the way…how’d it go last night?” A smirk grows on his face, as he sits down in front of Seonghwa.

“Yeosang, Hongjoong and I are just friends,” he reminds. “Nothing else.”

“Sure.” Yeosang doesn’t believe it for one second. “Come on. Haven’t you guys at least _kissed?”_

 _Yes. We’ve also fucked, but that’s beside the point_ , Seonghwa thinks to himself. “No. We’re. Just. Friends.”

“I could hit you guys up,” Yeosang says, ignoring Seonghwa. “What’s your favorite restaurant?”

“Kang Yeosang, drop it.”

The younger raises his hands in surrender. “Sorry,” he drawls. 

“Besides I think Hongjoong has a girlfriend,” Seonghwa mutters, a bit sadly.

“Why do you say that?” Yeosang asks.

“His car smelled like female perfume,” Seonghwa explains. “And we all know how the ladies love that Hongjoong’s minor is fashion.”

“I’ll ask him about it later,” Yeosang assures. “So, how’d it go last night? _And_ I’m just _asking_ , so don’t get your panties in a bunch.”

Seonghwa rolls his eyes, but a small smile grows on his face. “It was fine, I guess. I got to meet his parents last night. His father was a son of a bitch, and a homophobe, so that’s good.”

Yeosang frowns. “I feel bad for Hongjoong-hyung, then.”

“He’s not gay, though,” Seonghwa reminds.

“For me he kinda is.” Yeosang shrugs. “Anyway, you can continue.”

Seonghwa does. “His mother was a sweetheart,” he says. “We talked the whole night, but she made me meet a lot of other people, so my feet got tired. We ended up leaving at midnight, even though Hongjoong said we’d leave at seven.”

“You know hyung doesn’t always keep his word,” Yeosang chuckles, and Seonghwa sadly nods in agreement. He’s had experience before, and that doesn’t include last night.

“Anyway, we finally left, and Hongjoong dropped me off,” Seonghwa resumes, lying in the last part. He can’t exactly say he stayed at Hongjoong’s place, because then Yeosang would be on his ass about it, and Seonghwa doesn’t want that.

“You guys would make a great couple, you know,” Yeosang says. “You two are the parents of the group, too, and we all lowkey ship you two.”

“Well, too bad Hongjoong isn’t gay,” Seonghwa says.

“Yeah, too bad.”


	3. Old Friend

Yeosang stays at Seonghwa’s and Yunho’s for two more hours, before leaving, claiming he has a test he has to study for. Seonghwa wishes him good luck, and Yeosang thanks him, before walking out the door. Now that Seonghwa is alone, he washes the dishes he used and decides to study again for his literature test, which is going to be soon. Now that the house is silent, and Seonghwa is alone, he can study in peace. Grabbing his textbooks and backpack from his room, Seonghwa walks back toward the living room, and turns on the TV to put on some music. Before he can, though, his phone starts ringing.

Seonghwa doesn’t bother checking the caller ID. “Hello?”

“Is this Park Seonghwa?” 

The male narrows his eyes in confusion. “Yes. Who is this?”

“I’m sad that you don’t remember me,” the male voice says. 

Seonghwa raises an eyebrow, before his eyes widen, his jaw dropping. “No! Jimin?!”

“Hey,” he greets, a bit teasingly.

“Oh my god!” Seonghwa squeals. “Hyung, where have you been?! We haven’t seen each other in forever!”

“I know, right?” Jimin agrees. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been fine,” Seonghwa replies. “You?”

“Same,” Jimin concurs. “What are you doing?”

“Studying,” Seonghwa sighs. “Why’d you call, though, hyung?”

“I’m coming back to Seoul,” Jimin explains.

“Really?!” Seonghwa squeals again. “When?”

“In three weeks,” Jimin replies. “I know it’s a bit too long, and I’ll probably arrive later, but I just couldn’t wait to tell you. I really miss you, Seonghwa.”

“I miss you, too,” he returns. “And don’t worry about it. I’m sure you’ll be here soon.”

“Hopefully,” Jimin says. 

“Are you going to study at Seoul University?” Seonghwa asks, a bit hopefully.

“Yup,” Jimin answers, and Seonghwa lets out a sigh of relief. “That’s where you’re studying, right? Maybe you can show me around.”

“I will,” he assures, smiling brightly. “Anyway, hyung, I need to go back to studying.”

“Right, sorry for interrupting you,” Jimin apologizes. “See you soon, Seonghwa.”

“Can’t wait,” he says, before hanging up. Back in third grade, Seonghwa had met Park Jimin. The two were new students at the same elementary—Seonghwa was new in first grade, whilst Jimin was new in third grade—so they bonded over that. They soon became the bestest of friends and became inseparable. Yeosang, San, and Mingi grew to like Jimin, and the five became the bestest of friends. Sadly Jimin had to move away back to Busan in fifth grade, because of a family emergency, and he’s been staying there ever since. Seonghwa, Yeosang, San, and Mingi were sad when Jimin had to leave, but they called Jimin almost every day. It’s just when they got to college that they stopped. But now that Jimin’s coming back, they’d be friends again, right?

Seonghwa sighs happily, already planning on how clean the dorm will be on the day Jimin comes to the dorm, and what type of food he'll make.

\--

Later that day, around twelve thirty-eight p.m., Seonghwa is walking toward one of the cafés on campus, where the eight usually hang out when they want to eat together. Yeosang and San are already there—Mingi is still with Yunho—and Seonghwa is running a bit late. He had taken a shower, taken his precious time, but lost track of it. They were supposed to be meet at twelve-thirty, so Seonghwa is late. He soon arrives at the restaurant, seeing Yeosang and San with cups of coffee in front of them, as well as a plate full of food. The same thing is on the seat in front of them.

“Hey,” Seonghwa greets, sitting down in front of them. “Sorry, I’m a bit late. I lost track of time.”

“About time you arrive,” Yeosang says jokingly. “Someone looks nice.”

“I took a shower, and put on a bit of makeup,” Seonghwa explains. “Thanks for ordering me food, by the way.”

“You’re welcome,” San replies. “So, why did you want to meet us here?”

“I have exciting news,” Seonghwa starts. Yeosang and San look at him expectantly. “Jimin’s coming back.”

Yeosang’s and San’s eyes widen, their jaws dropping, just as Seonghwa’s had. “Really?!”

Seonghwa nods. “Since I’m the only one who didn’t change their phone number, I think that’s why he didn’t tell the rest of you. He said he was going to arrive in three weeks.”

“That’s too long,” Yeosang frowns. “Why so long?”

Seonghwa shrugs. “He didn’t say.”

“Three weeks will pass by quickly,” San assures. 

“That’s what I said,” Seonghwa giggles. “Do you think he has a partner yet?”

“Probably,” Yeosang answers. “He’s Park Jimin, for god’s sake.”

“Hell, even I would already be dating him if I had my sexuality figured out in third grade,” San adds.

“I think everyone would,” Seonghwa chuckles. “Is Mingi still with Yunho?”

“Yup,” Yeosang responds. “They’ve been together for almost four hours. True love right there.”

“Why did they even go out early?” San asks. 

Seonghwa shrugs. “They probably had a movie date that started that early.”

“Probably,” Yeosang mutters. He shrugs. “We’ll just ask them about it later.”

“Also…” San looks at Seonghwa with a small smirk, wiggling his eyebrows. “Yeosangie here told me all about your date with Hongjoong-hyung last night.”

“First, never do that with your eyebrows again,” Seonghwa says, making Yeosang and San laugh, “and second it wasn’t a date, for the last time.”

“Then why did Hongjoong-hyung say he wanted you to be his date?” Yeosang questions, raising an eyebrow, as he rests his chin on top of his palm.

“He was lying,” Seonghwa says, rolling his eyes. 

“Why?” San seems just as surprised and kind of betrayed, just as Seonghwa had been last night.

“I don’t know,” the oldest mumbles. “I asked him, but he didn’t say anything.”

“Maybe he _wanted_ it to be a date,” Yeosang says.

Seonghwa shakes his head. “His parents were there. His father’s homophobic. They were close to arguing last night, but Hongjoong’s mother stopped them.”

“Oof,” is the only thing Yeosang and San say. Seonghwa rolls his eyes at them.

“If I were hyung, I’d rather be disowned,” San eventually says. “If my dad doesn’t like my sexuality then jokes on him, because he doesn’t really love me. Man, if I were you at the party last night, hyung, I would’ve kicked Mr. Kim right in the balls.”

“That’s disrespectful, San,” Seonghwa reminds.

“Well, Mr. Kim’s being disrespectful to us gays,” Yeosang defends, letting out a small huff. “If he wants to be disrespectful then we can be, too. We ain’t no punks.”

“You guys kinda are.”

“No, we’re not.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

\--

Around two-o-nine is when Yunho finally arrives back at the dorm. Seonghwa is cleaning the kitchen, listening to Ariana Grande’s “Greedy” when he hears the door open. He knows it's Yunho, and Seonghwa lets out a squeal, immediately walking toward the younger.

“Tell me everything!” Seonghwa demands excitedly, dragging Yunho to the couch. “How’d it go?”

“Can I least take my shoes off, hyung?” the younger chuckles, toeing his shoes off.

“Okay, now tell me everything!” Seonghwa demands again, making Yunho shake his head. He eventually tells Seonghwa everything: he had picked Mingi up at eight, they went to the café first to eat breakfast, they took a stroll at the park, went to the movies, ate lunch, before coming back here. But, before they could separate ways, Yunho asked Mingi if he wanted to be his boyfriend. Mingi enthusiastically replied with a kiss, before running toward his dorm. When Yunho finishes, he leaves Seonghwa in tears. “That was so beautiful, oh my god,” he mutters, sniffling. 

“We literally just went on a casual date, hyung.” Yunho gives Seonghwa a quick weird look, before handing him a tissue. “Also, why are you listening to American music?”

“Don’t you dare change the subject, Jeong Yunho,” he warns. “Did you like the date?”

“Of course,” Yunho immediately replies. “It was wonderful.”

“I’m happy for you.” Seonghwa smiles, bringing Yunho into a hug. The younger hugs back, glancing at the clock. He pulls away suddenly, making Seonghwa stare at him in confusion.

“Oh, fuck, I’m late,” Yunho grumbles, getting up. He quickly puts on his shoes, heading toward the door. Seonghwa can’t even scold him for cursing, nor ask him where he is going, before Yunho slams the door behind him. Seonghwa sighs, gets up, pausing the music, and calls Mingi.

Seonghwa gets the same story from Mingi, but with a bit more excitement. The younger also rambles to Seonghwa about how nervous he had been to kiss Yunho, but he finally did it but ran away. Seonghwa comforts him and says he at least did it, which makes Mingi feel a bit better. 

“Also, guess who called me earlier?” Seonghwa asks once he's done comforting Mingi.

“Who?”

“Jimin.”

Seonghwa can basically hear Mingi’s jaw drop from the other line. “What?! Really?!”

“Yeah,” Seonghwa answers. “He told me he’s coming to Seoul in three weeks.”

Mingi loudly squeals, but Seonghwa doesn’t complain since that is how he had reacted. “Yay! We can get the group together again!”

“Yeah, but we’ll have Hongjoong, Yunho, Wooyoung, and Jongho in it, too,” Seonghwa reminds.

“The more the merrier,” Mingi cheers. “We should hold a coming back party for him. Just the nine of us, though.”

“Wouldn’t Hongjoong, Yunho, Wooyoung, and Jongho feel awkward?” Seonghwa says pointedly.

“At first, but they’ll grow to like Jimin, too,” Mingi says. “I’ll come over to your place with Yeosang and San later, so we can start planning. Are you in, hyung?”

Seonghwa smiles. “Of course I am.”

\--

“I’m happy for you, Yunho,” Hongjoong says, as Yunho finishes telling them the news about him and Mingi getting together.

“Thanks, hyung.” Yunho smiles. “I was really nervous, but I’m glad I did it.”

“Nice job,” Wooyoung says. “You were brave, unlike someone here.” He gives Jongho a look.

“I-I was nervous, okay?” the youngest grumbles, crossing his arms. “You try asking Yeosang-hyung out. I was scared of him the first day I met him. I thought he was going to beat me to death.”

“Please, Yeosang’s a softie,” Hongjoong chuckles. “He’d never hurt anyone.”

“Unless they hurt his friends,” Yunho says.

“I’ll hurt anyone who hurts him,” Jongho frowns. “Anyway, hyung, how’d it go at the dinner party last night with Seonghwa-hyung?”

“It went fine.” Hongjoong lets out a small shrug, the memories of what he and Seonghwa did in the bathroom of the company running through his mind. A small smirk grows on his face, taking a sip of his drink. “My mom loves Seonghwa now. He’s basically her second son.”

“Why don’t you ask him out?” Wooyoung suggests. “You guys are literally together 24/7, anyway.”

“I’m not gay,” Hongjoong reminds. 

“Sure,” Yunho mutters under his breath, but the rest hear him, Wooyoung and Jongho letting out a small snicker.

“Say what you want, but I’m not gay,” Hongjoong says, seeming to have heard Yunho, getting up. “Anyway, I need to leave. I’m meeting up with Hwasa.”

“She’s a lesbian!” Wooyoung calls out after him. “She has a girlfriend, too!”

“I know that!” Hongjoong calls back, glaring at Wooyoung, before walking through the door, leaving the building.


	4. The Invitation

“Thanks for meeting up with me,” Hongjoong says, as Hwasa lets him inside her dorm.

“No problem,” she replies. “Are you almost done with the song you’re working on?”

“Yeah.” Hongjoong nods. He sits down on the couch, placing his bag down. He takes out his laptop, logs in, and goes to the song he’s been working on for the last two weeks. Hwasa sits next to him, and Hongjoong presses play. They listen to the whole song, Hongjoong growing nervous about what Hwasa is going to say about the song.

“It’s amazing,” she says once the song is done. “Oh my god, Hongjoong, how’d you come up with this song?”

“I had help from a few acquaintances,” he admits. “Do you…do you really think it’s that good?”

“I’d give it an A-plus, plus, plus, plus,” Hwasa assures. “Do you have a name for the song?”

“Answer.”

Hwasa smiles. “That’s a good name. It’s a good song, too. You’re going to get a good grade on it, Hongjoong.”

“Thanks.” The male smiles back at Hwasa when they suddenly hear the front door open. They look toward it, seeing a pink-haired female walking inside. Once she turns around after closing and locking the door behind her, she seems a bit surprised to see Hongjoong, but she smiles at him.

“Hey, Hongjoong,” she greets, placing her bag down. “What are you guys doing?”

“Hongjoong asked me if I could listen to his song,” Hwasa explains. “It’s an _amazing_ song. You gotta listen to it, babe.” She turns toward Hongjoong. _“Can_ Solar listen to it, Hongjoong?”

“Of course,” he answers, and presses play on the song again. Even by the start, Solar is already liking the beat, and she even quietly sings along to the song.

“Amazing,” she immediately says once the song finishes playing.

“Thanks.” Hongjoong smiles, closing his laptop. “I’m glad I came to you guys. You helped calm my nerves.”

“I don’t mean to be rude or anything,” Hwasa says, “but why didn’t you go to any of your friends?”

“Yeah,” Solar agrees. “Especially Seonghwa. He likes every single one of your songs.”

Hongjoong knows that is true. Even if the song is only .01 seconds in, Seonghwa is already saying he loves it, and he’d never lie to Hongjoong. But right now, the brown-haired male doesn’t feel like talking to the older.

“They were all busy,” Hongjoong lies, placing his laptop in his bag.

Solar nods. “Well, I’ma go shower.”

Hwasa and Hongjoong nod this time, Solar walking away. Once the pinkette is out of earshot and sight, Hongjoong turns back toward Hwasa.

“Hwasa, can I ask you something?” he asks.

“Sure,” she replies.

Hongjoong gulps, licking his lips, before he says, “You…you and Solar were ‘fuckbuddies’ before you two got together, right?” Hwasa nods, not knowing where Hongjoong is going with this. “How did you feel while you guys were fucking around?” 

“Well, we were fucking around, so amazing,” Hwasa chuckles. “But the part about us having to hide our ‘relationship’ sucked. We both wanted to be in one, but we weren’t allowed. Finally, we decided to just get together since everyone who didn’t agree about us being together can go fuck themselves.”

“Do you feel happy?”

“Of course,” Hwasa immediately answers. “Hell, I’d marry Solar right now if I could.”

Hongjoong nods, thinking about Hwasa’s words. He sighs, getting up, and swinging his bag over his shoulder. “Well, I better get going, then. Thanks again for assuring me that my song was amazing. Tell Solar I said thank you to her, too, please.”

“Of course,” Hwasa says, leading Hongjoong to the door. “If you need anything, you know where to find me.”

Hongjoong nods again, before leaving, hearing Hwasa close the door behind him. He has to go to his music production class, so his teacher can hear the song he came up with. The deadline is at three p.m., and it is two forty-seven. You can say Hongjoong is stalling, but he's nervous. He really wants to pass this class, even though his grade in it is a C. Everyone assures him his songs are great and amazing, but his professor doesn’t think so. With a sigh, Hongjoong continues to walk toward the music building, dreading the walk there. His classroom is on the second floor, so he heads to the elevator. But once he arrives, he’s surprised to see a familiar raven-haired male there, too.

“Seonghwa?” Hongjoong calls out. “What are you doing here?”

Seonghwa turns around, smiling nervously once he sees Hongjoong. “H-hi…”

“What are you doing here?” the younger repeats.

“U-um…” Seonghwa doesn’t know what to say. It’s not like he has to tell the truth to Hongjoong, but he always tells him the truth. Well, except for his feelings, but that’s beside the point. “M-my old childhood friend is coming here to study, so I’m just checking to see what music classes are available, since he likes music, too.”

Hongjoong nods slowly. The elevator doors open, and the two walk inside. No one else bothers to go to the elevator, so the doors close, leaving Hongjoong and Seonghwa alone.

“Who’s your childhood friend?” Hongjoong asks.

Seonghwa purses his lips, looking away. “P-Park Jimin.”

Hongjoong’s eyes slightly widen. “Park Jimin? Wow, I haven’t heard of him in a while.”

Seonghwa’s eyes widen as well, as he turns to look at Hongjoong. “Y-you knew Jimin?”

“Yeah,” he replies. “We were friends back in sixth grade.”

“I-I never knew you grew up in Busan,” Seonghwa mutters.

“I didn’t,” Hongjoong counters. “I was born and grew up in Anyang, but moved to Busan for a short while for middle school.”

“O-oh,” is the only thing that Seonghwa manages to say.

“It’d be nice to see him again, though,” Hongjoong continues. “We haven’t seen each other ever since eighth grade.”

“H-he never mentioned you, though,” Seonghwa says.

“He doesn’t know we know each other, Seonghwa,” Hongjoong says, and Seonghwa internally calls himself stupid. The elevator soon stops, the doors opening. Hongjoong looks up, seeing that he and Seonghwa stop on the same floor. “I never knew Jimin liked to produce music.”

“H-he likes to write lyrics,” Seonghwa explains. “D-do you know where the songwriting teacher is?”

“I’m heading there,” Hongjoong replies. “You can follow me.”

Seonghwa nods, and he follows behind Hongjoong to the younger’s classroom. They step inside, and Hongjoong checks the time; two fifty-eight. He arrived just in time.

“Hongjoong,” his professor calls out. “I was about to fail you for not showing up.”

“Sorry,” Hongjoong apologizes. “I lost track of time.”

His professor nods, not seeming to believe him. “Did you finish your song?”

Hongjoong nods this time, and, as he takes out his laptop, he sees Seonghwa out of the corner of his eye talking with the professor. They exchange some words, a smile growing on Seonghwa’s face before he sits down on one of the seats in the classroom. Hongjoong finally gets everything ready, and walks toward his professor. The male looks at him a bit expectantly and Hongjoong presses play on the song. The song starts to play, and Hongjoong nervously watches his professor’s expression. It stays the same for the whole song, and Hongjoong’s mood drops.

“It’s horrible,” he says before his professor can. “You hate it.”

“I…I didn’t say that,” he says. “It’s just…the song doesn’t excite me enough. It’s too…boring. And bland.”

Hongjoong’s world comes crashing down. He’s worked hard on “Answer” for more than two weeks. Even though he had help from two other people, he did most of the work. He wrote the lyrics, made the beat, made his friends sing to the song since he likes their voices, blended everything, made sure everything was okay, poured his blood, sweat, and tears into it, and spent over more than three hundred thirty-six hours working on this song, just so his professor can say it's too ‘boring and bland.’

“I’m sorry, Hongjoong, but I’m giving you an F+ for this assignment,” he says. “Try better next time.”

“Thanks, anyway,” Hongjoong mutters, before walking out of the classroom.

Seonghwa looks after him, feeling his heart drop. He never heard “Answer” before, even though he sang most of it. He felt _excited_ when Hongjoong asked him if he could sing in the song, too. Now that Seonghwa heard all of it, he knows how much work Hongjoong put into the song, and he loves it. He'll give it an A-plus, plus, plus, plus, plus, plus, and all the infinity pluses. 

“Mr. Park, you wanted to speak with me?” the professor says, breaking Seonghwa out of his thoughts.

“I just remembered…I left my oven on,” he lies. “I’ll come by later, Professor Kim.” Seonghwa dashes out of the room, running after Hongjoong. He doesn’t see where the younger went, but he does have a guess. He soon arrives at the recording room, the label on the door saying ‘KIM HONGJOONG’S RECORDING/STUDIO ROOM.’ Hongjoong is that great of a producer and writer that he got his own recording/studio room. Professor Kim is just too blind to see it. Once Seonghwa arrives outside the door, he knocks on it. “H-Hongjoong?”

Seonghwa doesn’t receive a response for a few seconds before the door opens, the younger’s face peeking out. “Yes?”

“C-can I come in?” Seonghwa asks softly.

Hongjoong seems a bit reluctant, but opens the door more, stepping to the side, so Seonghwa can walk inside. The ravenette thanks him, walking inside the room, Hongjoong closing the door behind him.

“Why did you come here?” Hongjoong says, as he sits down on the rolling chair in front of all the equipment.

“I-I wanted to talk with you,” Seonghwa explains. He leans back against the wall, looking at Hongjoong with a small frown. “Hongjoong, you didn’t deserve that F. Your song was amazing.”

“You’re just saying that to boost my mood,” the younger grumbles.

“I-I’m not,” Seonghwa says. He walks over toward Hongjoong, and sits down on the younger’s lap, cupping his cheeks. “Hongjoong, your song was amazing. Probably your best song yet. P-Professor Kim is just too blind to see all the hard work you put into your song. H-he wears glasses for a reason. H-Hongjoong, don’t you remember how your old teacher, female Professor Kim, would praise how much of a good job you have done? W-why do you think you passed all the semesters in freshman year?”

“Because I was such a kiss ass student,” Hongjoong mutters.

Seonghwa lets out a small giggle. “B-besides that.” Hongjoong shrugs, looking down at Seonghwa’s thigh, as he drums his fingers against the fabric of Seonghwa’s jeans. The ravenette playfully rolls his eyes and brings Hongjoong’s chin up with his index finger and thumb. “Because you are talented. You’re the best songwriter and producer I know, Hongjoong. D-don’t ever let someone tell you otherwise.”

“Why do you care so much, though?” the younger questions quietly. 

“B-because…” Seonghwa tries to think of another reason besides ‘because I love you, and I mean I love you more than a friend.’ “B-because it’s unfair.”

Hongjoong nods, and finally looks up to look at Seonghwa in the eye. The older sees unshed tears in them, but they don’t fall from Hongjoong’s eyes. Instead, the younger blinks them away. “Th-thanks, Hwa.”

Seonghwa nods this time, pecking Hongjoong’s lips softly. “A-anytime, Joong.”

\--

For the next two hours, Seonghwa stays with Hongjoong at his studio in the music building. The two talk about random things and play around a bit. Hongjoong even asks if Seonghwa would like to sing in his next song, and the male happily agrees. Surprisingly, for the whole two hours, the two don’t make any sexual advances, which, to Seonghwa, is a relief. He loves the moments where he and Hongjoong just sit there and talk, and not have sex. Of course, he loves having sex with Hongjoong, but sometimes it's just nice to sit and talk with him.

Now, it is five p.m., nearing six when Seonghwa is finally walking back to his dorm. He has forgotten all about his literature test, which he has to study for. Sure, he’s been studying nonstop for the last few days, but he needs to continue study if he wants to get a good grade. Unfortunately, Seonghwa has to walk past through the field, where the cheerleaders usually hang out on their days off.

(they hang out there nevertheless, anyway.)

Seonghwa hates passing by them, because he sadly knows most of them since they were friends back in eleventh grade. Thankfully, Seonghwa found out how fake they were, and ended their friendship, but unfortunately, they also decided to go to the same university as Seonghwa.

The male quickly tries to walk past them without being seen, but of course, that doesn’t work, because one of the cheerleaders soon call him out.

“Yah, Park Seonghwa!”

The ravenette turns around, not surprised to see that it was Kim Jisoo who called him out. “Yes? How may I help you?”

“Come over here,” another cheerleader, Jennie Kim, orders.

With a sigh, Seonghwa hesitantly walks toward them.

“Are you eating healthy?” another, Chou Tzuyu, asks with a small frown on her face.

“It’s none of your concern, Tzuyu,” Seonghwa sighs, crossing his arms. “Why did you guys call me over?”

“We just wanted to bug you,” another, Lee Sunmi, replies, letting out a small shrug. “You are getting a bit fatter, though.”

Seonghwa rolls his eyes. “Thanks for your guys’ opinion, but I don’t remember ever asking for them. Now if you excuse me, I need to go study for my test.”

“Ah! One more thing!” another, Lalisa Manoban, calls out before Seonghwa can fully leave. Lisa takes something out of her bag, handing a hot pink card to Seonghwa. The male looks at it, before looking back at them in confusion. “It’s an invitation,” she explains. “I’m having a party at my place on Friday at five. You’re invited. I invited your friends, too.”

“We’re not going,” Seonghwa says. “Thanks for the invite, though.” With that, he turns around and starts to walk away.

“Geez, what a brat. He could’ve at least said thank you,” he hears another cheerleader, Kim Dahyun, grumble. 

“What we get for being nice,” another, Kim Chungha, adds, tsking.

Seonghwa rolls his eyes, continuing to walk to his dorm. Once he gets there, he’s surprised to see Yunho and Mingi sitting on the couch. As well as the others: Yeosang and Jongho sitting on the recliner, Yeosang on Jongho’s lap, and San and Wooyoung sitting on the floor next to the couch, San resting his head on Wooyoung’s shoulder. They all have their textbooks in between them, but it doesn’t look as if they're studying at all.

“Hi, hyung!” they all excitedly greet, perking up once they see Seonghwa.

“Hey,” he returns. “What are you all doing here?”

“We decided to do a small studying triple date,” Yunho explains. “We knew you’d be here eventually, but we didn’t mind. Hongjoong-hyung will be here eventually, too, so you two are gonna be the seventh and eighth-wheel.”

 _“Unless,”_ Yeosang speaks up, a small smirk on his face, “you and Hongjoong-hyung are dating already.”

Seonghwa rolls his eyes. “We’re not. And I don’t mind being the ‘seventh’ or ‘eighth-wheel.’ I don’t really care.”

“We figured you wouldn’t.” San shrugs. “By the way, there’s some ramen on the table if you want some.”

Seonghwa nods, thanking them. He pours hot water into the cup of ramen, letting it rest and cook on the counter. He turns back around, remembering about the invitation Lisa gave him.

“Hey, guys?” he speaks up, making the youngers look at him. 

“Yeah?”

“Were you guys invited to Lisa’s party?” Seonghwa asks.

“Yeah,” Mingi sighs. “Why? Do you plan on going?”

“Hell no,” Seonghwa scoffs. “Are _you_ guys planning on going?”

The three couples look at each other. “Maybe…”

“How rude,” Seonghwa grumbles. “Why? It’s _Lalisa Manoban’s_ party. Do you guys not remember how much of a bitch she is?”

Wooyoung lets out a fake dramatic gasp, looking at Seonghwa with wide eyes. “H-hyung, you cursed!”

“It’s okay if I do it,” the oldest huffs. 

“We’re just going to her party,” Jongho reminds, letting out a small shrug. “Not like we’re going to talk to her.”

“True,” Seonghwa mutters.

“Come with us, hyung!” Yunho suggests excitedly. “You never go out with us at parties anymore!”

“And I have a reason,” Seonghwa mumbles under his breath, the memories of what happened at the last party he went to—hint: sleeping with Hongjoong—running through his mind. 

“Pleaseeeee???”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“We’re going to keep saying please until you say yes,” Yeosang says.

Seonghwa opens his mouth to complain, but, before he can say anything, they all hear a knock at the door.

“Ooh, it must be Hongjoong-hyung!” San squeals, but they all let Seonghwa go open the door. The oldest does, opening it, and indeed seeing Hongjoong standing on the other side. Hongjoong gives Seonghwa a small smile, and Seonghwa lets him in.

“Hongjoong-hyung, _please_ convince Seonghwa-hyung to come with us to Lisa-noona’s party,” Mingi begs.

Hongjoong raises an eyebrow, looking at the youngers, before looking at Seonghwa. “You don’t want to go to a party, Seonghwa?”

“No,” he frowns, surprised that Hongjoong doesn’t know why.

“Hongjoong-hyung, convince your wife to come with us to the party!” Wooyoung whines, and Seonghwa feels himself blush, because of Wooyoung calling him Hongjoong’s wife.

“He’s not my wife, Wooyoung,” he grumbles. Hongjoong looks at Seonghwa. “Why don’t you want to go, Seonghwa?”

“I have…my reasons,” he mutters. 

“It’s not like you’re going to die!” Jongho exclaims.

“Yah, no yelling!” Seonghwa scolds.

“Just come with us,” Hongjoong says, swinging his arm around Seonghwa’s shoulder. “It’ll be fun.”

Seonghwa lets out a sigh, looking between Hongjoong and the youngers, who are looking at him with puppy eyes. Finally, Seonghwa sighs in defeat, rolling his eyes. “Fine. I’ll go with you guys to the stupid party.”

Immediately, the dorm erupts into chaos and squeals, the three couples cheering and hugging each other as if they have won the world cup or something. Seonghwa shakes his head at them, hesitantly leaning away from Hongjoong to grab his ramen cup.

“You guys owe me, though.”

“We know!”


	5. How Could He?

The next day, which is Thursday, Seonghwa wakes up around five in the morning to start getting ready for his classes. He didn’t know you could choose what time you wanted to go to your classes when he applied for university, so, stupidly, his classes always start at seven a.m. Seonghwa doesn’t really mind, though, since he's an early bird, but at least he was smart enough to take Fridays off.

Stepping out of the shower, Seonghwa changes into a black shirt tucked into white pants, putting a cream white long coat on top, since it's a bit chilly outside. Seonghwa walks out of his room, walking toward the kitchen. But once he steps out of his room, he's surprised to see Yunho in the kitchen already. The male doesn’t have classes until two—that lucky hoe—so what is he doing up so early?

“Why are you up so early, Yunho?” Seonghwa asks, walking inside the kitchen. “I thought you don't have classes until two.”

“I do,” Yunho says. “I just forgot I have a math test today, so I’m trying to study for it. What time is it, by the way?”

Seonghwa lets out a small chuckle, shaking his head. He checks the clock; five thirty-eight. “It’s about to be five-forty. You have eight hours and twenty minutes to study.”

“Hopefully by that time I have everything I need to remember in my head,” Yunho mutters. Seonghwa lets out a small chuckle again, deciding to leave Yunho alone. He serves the two of them a cup of coffee, placing the cup in front of Yunho. The younger one thanks him, taking a sip. Seonghwa nods and starts to make himself and Yunho eggs and toast. Once he’s done, he places the plate in front of Yunho, who thanks him again. Seonghwa eats in peace, not in a rush since he still has around an hour left until he has to leave. “Hyung, what’s time two times two again?” he questions a while later, whilst Seonghwa is gathering his stuff in his bag.

“Four…?”

“Thanks,” Yunho mutters.

Seonghwashakes his head, going to brush his teeth. Once he gets out, he feels his phone vibrate against his pocket. A bit confused, Seonghwa takes out his phone, seeing that someone texted them. He presses on the notification, seeing an unknown number had texted him.

 **1(243)348-1212:**  
hey seonghwa!

 **1(243)348-1212:  
** it’s me jimin!

 **seonghwa:**  
oh hey jimin!  
 ****

 **seonghwa:  
** why are you up so early?

 **jimin:** **  
**classes :/

 **jimin:** **  
**i assume u’re up bc of them too?

 **seonghwa:  
** yeah :(

 **seonghwa:**  
stupidly i signed up for early classes

 **jimin:** **  
**what a noob

 **seonghwa:** **  
**shut up you’re a noob too

 **jimin:** **  
**twinsiesss~

 **jimin:** **  
**anyway, i have to leave now. my class starts soon. it was nice talking with you seonghwa

 **seonghwa:** **  
**it was

 **seonghwa:** **  
**ttyl then

 **jimin:** **  
**byeee

With a smile, Seonghwa put his phone away. He looks up, surprised to see Yunho looking at him with an eyebrow raised.

“What?” he asks.

“Why are you smiling?” Yunho says, a bit teasingly. “Were you talking with your _boyfriend_?”

“N-no!” Seonghwa is quick to exclaim, his cheeks heating up. “I-I was just talking with an old friend!”

“Sure.” Yunho doesn’t seem to believe him.

Seonghwa just rolls his eyes, closing his bag, and swinging it over his shoulder. _“Anyway,_ I have to leave now. My class starts soon. See you later, Yunho.”

“Bye.” The younger waves at him with a smirk and Seonghwa rolls his eyes again, closing the door behind him. He makes sure he has everything before he starts to walk toward his first class: English. He had to choose a foreign language class, and English is the only language he knows a few words in. Unsurprisingly (or not), Hongjoong also takes that class, and sometimes he and Seonghwa meet up for a ‘study date’, which soon turns into a ‘sex date.’ 

As Seonghwa continues to walk, he’s surprised that he doesn’t see Hongjoong. Usually, the two walk together to their first-period class and sit next together, but Seonghwa doesn’t see Hongjoong anywhere.

 _Maybe he’s sick_ , Seonghwa thinks to himself, subconsciously biting his lower lip. _Or maybe he doesn’t want to go to class. Or maybe he wanted to sleep in._ Many other reasons **—** excuses—why Hongjoong isn’t here fill Seonghwa’s head, concerned for the younger. But then Seonghwa realizes what he’s thinking about, and shakes his head to get rid of the thoughts. Even so, he still makes a mental note to himself to visit the younger’s dorm later.

Seonghwa soon arrives at his classroom, seeing a few students already there, taking out their stuff. He smiles at a few of them, as he walks toward his seat. He sits down and starts taking out his stuff as well. The professor isn’t here yet, but Seonghwa is sure she’d be here soon. Seonghwa opens to a new page in his notebook, the other pages already full of notes. He would rather write his notes on a laptop, but he doesn’t have enough money to buy himself one. His parents promised they’d buy him one before he went off to university, but that was two, almost three years ago. Seonghwa isn’t complaining, though. His parents don’t have to buy him _everything_.

Once the bell rings, the English professor walks inside, carrying her satchel. She places it down on her desk, greets the class before she starts taking attendance. 

“Kim Hongjoong?” she calls out. The professor receives no response, so she looks at the spot next to Seonghwa, a bit confused. She looks at the male. “Seonghwa, can you make sure Hongjoong gets the homework?” 

“O-of course, Professor Kim,” Seonghwa assures. 

“Thank you,” she mutters, before continuing. Once Professor Kim is finished, she doesn’t waste a second before starting to teach. Seonghwa tries to catch up with her talking, writing down notes. For the next hour, Seonghwa pays attention to what Professor Kim is saying. Five minutes before the class ends, she lets them start packing up, but calls Seonghwa to meet her. He's a bit surprised and confused, but he senses it has something to do with Hongjoong.

“Yes, Professor?” Seonghwa says.

“This is Hongjoong’s homework,” she says, handing Seonghwa two pieces of paper. “Please tell him he has to turn it in on the day he comes back.”

Seonghwa nods, and bows, before walking back toward his desk. He continues packing up, and once he’s done, the bell has already rung. He hurries out of the classroom, saying bye to the professor before he heads to his next class: dance. He also has this class with Hongjoong, but of course, the male won’t be there.

\--

When it’s finally lunch, Seonghwa walks out of his fourth classroom, heading toward Hongjoong’s dorm. Seonghwa hopes Hongjoong is there, but if he isn’t, he's sure Mark and his boyfriend, Jackson Wang, will offer him some food, and he'll stay there until he has to go to his next class. Once Seonghwa arrives at Hongjoong’s and Mark’s dorm, he knocks on the door, waiting for a response. He doesn’t get one. A bit confused, Seonghwa knocks on the door a bit louder, but he gets the same response.

“Hongjoong?! Mark-hyung?!” he calls out. “It’s me Seonghwa! Can I come in?!”

Seonghwa doesn’t get a response this time, either.

 _It’s not like I’m going to intrude on them_ , he thinks to himself. _Besides they’ve done it to me, too, so it’s fair._ Even though he's a bit reluctant to do so still, Seonghwa opens the door, hearing nothing but silence. He notices Mark’s car keys aren’t hanged up by the hook, so he assumes the older is out. 

“Hongjoong?” Seonghwa calls out again. He doesn’t receive a response. Sighing, Seonghwa starts walking toward the hallway, heading toward Hongjoong’s room. Once he’s near the younger’s room, he hears what sounds like…moans. Seonghwa’s gulps, before he slowly opens the door. The next thing he sees shocks him, and sadness washes over him.

Hongjoong is balls deep in some girl, the girl underneath Hongjoong, as he thrusts into her, the girl moaning _very_ loudly.

Tears build up in Seonghwa’s eyes, but he doesn’t let out a sob. He quickly closes the door, and runs out of the dorm, closing the door behind him. He runs back to his dorm, unsurprised that he doesn’t find Yunho. He's probably out with Mingi. Seonghwa runs toward his room, and shoves his bag onto his bed, collapsing down on it on his stomach, and clutching his pillow, as he starts to sob. Fat tears roll down his face, even though he doesn’t know why he’s crying. He shouldn’t be. Hongjoong has no feelings for him, and what they’re doing is not love. Hell, even Hongjoong says ‘no homo tho’ after they’re done. It hurts Seonghwa, but he’s never complained. Well, to Hongjoong, at least. At the minimum, he now knows who was in Hongjoong’s car.

Then something else hits Seonghwa: it could’ve been some other random girl. Hongjoong’s probably fucked other girls, too. Hongjoong has a reputation of being a fuckboy back in high school, but Seonghwa and the others thought he would stop once they were in college. Guess not.

Seonghwa continues to cry and sob, clutching his pillow, not wanting to let go. He just wants to dig a hole, crawl in there, and die. He doesn’t want to go out, especially since he’d have to see Hongjoong. But life is unfair, and Seonghwa knows he’d have to go out sooner or later.

“Hyung!” he suddenly hears Yeosang’s voice from outside. “Where are you?!”

Seonghwa clears his throat, finally letting go of his pillow. He wipes his tears away and rubs his eyes, but he knows that won’t hide the fact that he is crying. The redness around his eyes, puffiness of his eyes, as well as the tear stains on his cheeks, will give him away. But Yeosang won’t judge him for crying—he’d comfort him instead.

“I-I’m in my room, Yeosang,” he says, his tone a bit quiet, but he knows Yeosang hears him. 

Seonghwa hears footsteps walk toward his room, and his door is opened soon, revealing Yeosang. He opens his mouth to say something, but stops when he sees the tear stains on Seonghwa’s face, the red around his eyes, and the puffiness around them. It's obvious he's crying.

“Hyung?” Yeosang softly says, sitting down on the bed. “Why are you crying?” Seonghwa holds back a sob, as he remembers why. He doesn’t say anything, though, which makes Yeosang frown. “You call tell me, hyung,” he assures. “I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to. You can trust me.”

Yeosang is right—Seonghwa _can_ trust him. If you want to tell someone a secret, and want them to keep it, you’d go to Yeosang. He won’t say anything to anyone.

“O-okay, but you have to promise not to say anything to a-anyone,” Seonghwa repeats.

Yeosang lets out a small smile. “I promise.”

Seonghwa holds out his pinky. “P-pinky promise?”

Yeosang nods, wrapping his pinky around Seonghwa’s. A small barely visible smile grows on the older’s face, but it disappears, as he starts to tell Yeosang why he's crying. He starts with the explanation of how he and Hongjoong started fucking around, how Hongjoong says ‘no homo tho’ whenever they’re done, then continues to tell Yeosang about his feelings about Hongjoong, before finishing with what he saw earlier in the younger’s and Mark’s dorm. A few tears roll down Seonghwa’s face again, but Yeosang wipes them away.

“Well, Hongjoong-hyung is one son of a bitch,” he states. “He can’t say ‘no homo’ if he enjoys having sex with you, a _guy_. I knew he was secretly gay.”

Seonghwa nods quietly. “I don’t think he’s entirely gay. He’s been with other girls, remember?”

“Right,” Yeosang mutters. “Then I knew he was secretly bisexual.”

Seonghwa cracks out a small smile, sniffling. “He probably is, but I think I’m the only boy he sleeps around with. All the other boys he knows are close to him, and I think he’d feel weird if he ever fucked around with any of them.”

“You two are close,” Yeosang reminds. 

Seonghwa sighs, realizing Yeosang is right. “Guess I’m not that special anymore, then.”

“You are,” he assures. “You’re special to the rest of us, hyung. By the way, doesn’t your class start soon?”

Raising an eyebrow, Seonghwa looks at the clock; twelve fifty-two p.m. His next class starts in three minutes. Seonghwa’s eyes widen, and he quickly gets off the bed, grabbing his things. “I’ll see you later, Yeosang!” he calls out, running out the door. He runs toward his next classroom, which is math. The building is around nine minutes away, but if Seonghwa sprints, he can make it in five. He makes it in four—a new record—panting once he arrives. He smiles apologetically at the professor, heading toward his seat.

It isn’t even five minutes later, though, that Seonghwa feels his phone vibrate against his pocket. The professor doesn’t mind if her students use their phones, as long as they pay attention, and don’t make or answer calls. Seonghwa takes out his phone, seeing that it's Yeosang who texted him.

 **yeosang:** **  
**btw hyung i forgot to tell u that the rest of r planning to go to the mall for the party tomorrow

 **yeosang:  
** wanna come?

 **seonghwa:** **  
**sure

 **seonghwa:** **  
**who’s driving?

 **yeosang:** **  
**well, hongjoong hyung and yunho were but i don’t think you want to come with hyung…

 **seonghwa:** **  
**it’s fine yeosang

 **seonghwa:  
** you guys are going to be there too

 **seonghwa:** **  
**what time?

 **yeosang:** **  
**after everyone’s classes end so at five

 **seonghwa:** **  
**ok

 **seonghwa:  
** i have to go now

 **yeosang:** **  
**bye hyung

 **seonghwa:** **  
**bye

Putting his phone away, Seonghwa continues to pay attention but also thinking and worrying about how he's going to face Hongjoong in five hours.

\--

When all his classes are over, Seonghwa walks back to his dorm, knowing Yunho isn’t there, since his classes started a minute ago. Once Seonghwa arrives, he walks inside, the dorm empty. He closes the door behind him, walking toward the couch. He sits down, placing his bag next to him. He takes out his notebook and gets up to get his textbooks from his room, deciding to start on his homework. As he comes back, his phone starts to ring, so Seonghwa checks the caller ID, surprised to see that it is Hongjoong who is calling him.

Seonghwa gulps, contemplating his options, before ignoring the call, and turning on the TV to listen to music, whilst he works.

\--

When five p.m. rolls around, Seonghwa walks toward the parking lot, where they agreed to meet up. He sees Hongjoong (unfortunately), Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho talking amongst each other, waiting for Seonghwa. Hongjoong is the one who notices him first, and Seonghwa gives them all a small smile.

“Hey,” he greets. “Sorry, I’m late.”

“It’s fine,” Yunho assures. “Shall we get going?”

Everyone else nods, and they get into the cars. Seonghwa gets inside Yunho’s car, not wanting to go in Hongjoong’s. The brown-haired male is a bit surprised, but he doesn’t say anything. Mingi and Yeosang also get in Yunho’s car, Mingi getting in since Yunho’s his boyfriend, and Yeosang because he wants to be there for Seonghwa. The oldest appreciates it, and Yeosang reaches over to squeeze his hand. 

Around seventeen minutes later, they arrive at the mall, Hongjoong and Yunho parking next to each other. They all get out, Yeosang still sticking by Seonghwa’s side. 

“Should we eat first?” the oldest asks.

“Yeah,” Yeosang replies. “I’m starving.”

“Me, too,” San agrees, and the two high five. The rest laugh at them before they head inside the mall. They head toward a Korean BBQ first, and Mingi and Wooyoung stay in line, whilst the rest sit down. Yeosang immediately sits next to Seonghwa, making Hongjoong sit on the other side. He raises an eyebrow at Yeosang, who smiles at him, glaring at him internally.

“The food’s here!” Mingi announces as he and Wooyoung walk back. They place the food on the table, and everyone digs in. They talk and laugh amongst each other, whilst they eat, and Seonghwa makes sure to not even look at Hongjoong. The brunette is a bit confused and surprised at Seonghwa’s behavior toward him since he’s done nothing to him for Seonghwa to act this way. Wiping his mouth with a napkin, Hongjoong gets up.

“Seonghwa, can you come with me?” he questions, looking at the oldest intensely.

Yeosang opens his mouth to deny, but Seonghwa beats him: “S-sure.”

Hongjoong nods, starting to walk out of the restaurant. Yeosang nudges Seonghwa, but the older ignores him, following after Hongjoong. They walk in silence, and arrive at the bathroom. Once they’re inside, Hongjoong surprises Seonghwa by pushing him up against the wall, glaring at him.

“What is going on with you today?” Hongjoong demands.

“W-what do you mean?” Seonghwa tries to act innocent.

“Why are you acting so distant?” Hongjoong explains. “Normally, you’d talk to me the most, but today, you’re not even glancing in my direction. You even ignored me. What’s going on, Seonghwa?”

The raven-haired male frowns, not believing that Hongjoong forgot what he did in his dorm with that girl. “It’s nothing, Hongjoong. Can’t I focus on the rest of our friends for once?”

“Yes, but why are you ignoring me?” he asks.

“I have my reasons,” Seonghwa frowns.

“Tell me.”

“I did.”

“Seonghwa.”

“Hongjoong.”

The brunette finally sighs, pulling away. “If you don’t want to tell me then fine.” With that, Hongjoong walks out of the bathroom, almost breaking the door by how hard he pulls it open. Seonghwa winces, but he pats himself on the back for not submitting to Hongjoong. Yet, Seonghwa still can’t help but feel bad for the way he didn’t answer Hongjoong’s question.

 _He deserved it, Seonghwa_ , he assures himself, walking out of the bathroom. _He doesn’t deserve an explanation from you._


	6. Lisa’s Party

Hongjoong and Seonghwa arrive back at where their friends are, the youngers except Yeosang giving each other a smirk, waggling their eyebrows. Hongjoong and Seonghwa ignore them, though, continuing to eat. The subject soon changes, and the eight continue to fool around. When they’re done eating, they start looking through shops to see if they can find something to wear. They separate soon, wanting their outfits to be a surprise. Once they’re alone, San and Mingi look at Seonghwa and Yeosang in confusion.

“Why are you two acting so distant toward Hongjoong-hyung?” San asks. “Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine, San,” Seonghwa lies. “Hongjoong and I just got into an argument earlier, and Yeosang agrees with me, so he’s mad at Hongjoong, too.”

San and Mingi look at each other, not seeming to believe Seonghwa. Yeosang rolls his eyes at them internally, before a certain shop catches his eyes. He grabs the others’ wrists and pulls them toward the shop.

-

“Did something happen between you and Seonghwa, hyung?” Yunho questions once the four of them are alone.

Hongjoong shrugs. “I don’t know. I did nothing to him.”

“Maybe that’s what you think,” Wooyoung says, knowing from experience with San.

“I didn’t, Wooyoung,” Hongjoong says, almost snapping at the younger. “You all know how Seonghwa is.”

“Yes, but he gets over it,” Jongho reminds. “He doesn’t stay _this_ long mad at us.”

“Ask him, then,” Hongjoong says. 

“He’s probably not going to tell us the truth,” Yunho frowns.

“Well, too bad, then.”

\--

Around three hours later, the eight are done. They do bump into each other at times, but they smile at each other, before walking away. But now it is eight fifty-three p.m., and the mall is going to close in seven minutes. The eight agree to meet up by the entrance/exit, so when Hongjoong, Yunho, Wooyoung, and Jongho see Seonghwa, Yeosang, San, and Mingi with at least five bags each, they are surprised, to say the least.

“What did you guys buy?” Yunho asks.

Yeosang shrugs “Oh, just a few things. We ready to go?”

The others nod, and they leave the mall. They walk back toward Hongjoong’s and Yunho’s car, but on an unspoken agreement, Yunho, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho go to Yunho’s car. Jongho has to drag Yeosang with them, so he doesn’t go with Hongjoong and Seonghwa.

“We’ll all be going in Yunho’s car!” San announces.

“You don’t all fit, though,” Hongjoong says.

“We do,” Mingi opposes. “See you guys at uni!” Without another word, they all squeeze inside Yunho’s car, the male turning the vehicle on. 

Seonghwa doesn’t look at Hongjoong; he just gets into the front seat. Hongjoong lets out a sigh, and slides into the driver’s seat, closing the door. Seonghwa is already pulling the seatbelt over his upper body, buckling it in. Hongjoong does the same, turning the car on after. He soon shifts the gear to reverse, getting out of the parking spot, before shifting the gear to drive and follows Yunho.

For the next long seventeen minutes, Hongjoong and Seonghwa don’t say a word to each other. They can see the others, even Yeosang, turn to look at them, but they end up disappointed, because they don’t see anything happening between the oldest two. Seonghwa shakes his head at them, and they soon arrive. Seonghwa quickly gets out of the car, his bags in his hands, and already starts to walk toward his dorm without another word.

The others know from experience to not follow after him, so they don’t. When Seonghwa arrives at his and Yunho’s dorm, he takes out his keys, unlocking the door. He walks inside and heads toward his room. He places the bags down and collapses back against his bed. He soon gets up to shower, grabbing a random pair of pajamas, before heading toward the bathroom.

“Hyung?!” he hears Yunho call out for him a few minutes later. “Are you okay?!”

“I’m fine, Yunho,” Seonghwa says, opening the bathroom door, Yunho barely noticing his damp raven hair. 

Yunho doesn’t seem to believe him, but he nods, walking toward his room.

\--

“Don’t make me look like a thot, Yeosang,” Seonghwa warns.

“You’d find a boyfriend sooner this way,” Yeosang says.

“I don’t want a boyfriend,” Seonghwa frowns. “I’m fine being single.”

“We all have boyfriends already, hyung,” San reminds. 

“Because you guys want to,” Seonghwa says. “As I said, I’m fine being single.”

Yeosang gives him a look, before continuing to go through the bags again. A few seconds later, he’s done, and he shows the outfit to Seonghwa. The oldest tries to deny, but the next thing he knows, he’s being changed into a black long-sleeve cut out shoulder shirt. The shirt is tucked into black joggers, three leather straps by the right ankle, and black combat boots. San then sits Seonghwa down and does his hair by curling it. Mingi does his makeup, giving him a smokey eye look with red lipstick on his lips.

“Hongjoong-hyung will definitely have the hots for you now,” San mutters.

Seonghwa rolls his eyes. “San, I’m not looking to get with Hongjoong. Besides, you guys are forcing me to go to the party. If it were up to me, I’d stay home to binge Netflix.”

“We can do that after the party,” Mingi promises. “All that’s left is for me, Yeosang, and San to get changed.”

“I get to choose your guys' outfits, then,” Seonghwa says. The others open their mouth to complain, but Seonghwa cuts them off. “You guys chose my entire look. I’m just choosing your outfits.”

“Fine,” they give in.

Seonghwa lets out a small smirk and chooses the youngers’ outfits. He makes Yeosang change into a dark red long-sleeve chiffon shirt, the chest part laced up, french tucked into black ripped jeans, San change into a blue-gray knitted ripped shirt, the right sleeve leather that has a strap that goes through San’s upper body to the shoulder, tucked into black pants, and black combat boots, and Mingi change into a black turtleneck that is underneath a black and white unbuttoned flannel, and black denim jacket, the shirt tucked into black ripped jeans. Yeosang, San, and Mingi then do their hair and makeup, and around nineteen minutes later, they’re done.

“We all look good,” Yeosang says in surprise. “Oh my god, I forgot the last time we’ve looked _this_ good.”

“Let’s take a selca!” San suggests, and, before the rest can complain, he's already dragging them toward the bathroom mirror, where they all pose either sexily or smile. San snaps a picture, and forwards it to the group chat between the four of them.

“You know, it wasn’t really a selca,” Mingi points out, saving the photo. “It was more of a picture.”

“Shut up,” San mutters.

Seonghwa and Yeosang laugh at them, and they all leave the room. Today is the day of the party, and Hongjoong, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho came over to get ready. They arrived at four-forty p.m., and now it is six-forty. Stepping out of Seonghwa’s room, the four can already see Yunho, Wooyoung, and Jongho already ready, sitting on the couch.

“Damn,” Mingi drawls, not being able to keep his eyes off from Yunho, who is just dressed in a white shirt, black jeans, and a light blue denim jacket. 

“You all look amazing,” he states, wrapping his arms around Mingi’s waist, and pressing a soft kiss against his lips.

“Get a room,” Seonghwa teases.

“We barely kissed, hyung,” Mingi chuckles, rolling his eyes. “By the way, where’s Hongjoong-hyung?”

“I’m right here,” the said male says, and they all turn to look at the second oldest. Though once Seonghwa’s eyes land on Hongjoong, they widen, and Seonghwa feels his whole body heat up. Hongjoong is dressed in a black shirt tucked into blue jeans, a black braided belt around his waist, a black leather jacket on top, a few silver chains dangling from his neck, a light coat of brown eyeshadow around his eyes, and a few piercings in his ears. In conclusion, he looks _hot_.

“Damn, hyung.” Yeosang lets out a wolf whistle, voicing Seonghwa’s thoughts.

A small smirk grows on Hongjoong’s face, and he looks at Seonghwa, making sure the older knows he is eye-fucking him. “Thanks. ‘Damn’ to you, too, Yeosang.”

“Can the two of you stop flirting?” Jongho asks, but there’s a hint of teasing in his tone.

Hongjoong puts his hands up in surrender. “Sorry. We ready to leave?”

The others nod, Seonghwa’s mind still processing how hot Hongjoong looks. They leave Seonghwa’s and Yunho’s dorm, heading toward San’s and Mingi’s cars. Hongjoong, Seonghwa, San, and Wooyoung get inside San’s car, whilst Mingi, Yunho, Yeosang, and Jongho get inside Mingi’s. Hongjoong and Seonghwa sit in the backseat since they are sure San and Wooyoung will want to sit together. Surprisingly, Hongjoong doesn’t say anything to Seonghwa, and just types on his phone. He has a small smirk on his face, and it’s obvious he’s planning to hook up with someone at the party. Seonghwa sighs, leaning his head against the window.

Even though Lisa has a dorm in the university that she shares with Jennie Kim, Lisa usually stays at her own house. Her parents are rich, so therefore she was able to buy her own house. She's the one who hosts parties, as well as Jackson Wang. Their party hosting skills are amazing, but if Seonghwa had to choose the best one, he’d go with Jackson.

Around fifteen minutes later, they arrive at Lisa’s house. There isn’t that much parking, so they have to park five blocks away. That's fine for right now, but not for tomorrow morning. They all get out of the car, meeting up on the sidewalk.

“I can already hear the music coming from Lisa’s house,” San says.

“You know how loud she puts her music up,” Mingi reminds. They start to walk toward Lisa’s house, talking and playing with each other. Hongjoong and Seonghwa still don’t talk to each other, which the others find weird, but they don’t say anything this time.

They soon arrive at Lisa’s house, and head inside. People are already drunk, high, grinding against each other, making out, and close to having sex. The scent of sex, alcohol, and sweat drifts in the air, and Seonghwa scrunches his nose up in disgust.

“Should we get drunk tonight?!” Wooyoung asks over the music.

“Hell yeah!” San replies, and he and Wooyoung head toward the bar.

“Should _the rest_ of us get drunk?” Jongho says.

“Just a little,” Hongjoong replies, and the rest nod, following behind San and Wooyoung. The two are already combining crystal light peach green tea with fireball—cinnamon whiskey—in their cups. The rest shake their heads at them, but serve themselves drinks, too.

Over the next hour, the eight get drunk, despite what Hongjoong said earlier. San and Wooyoung are the drunkest out of all of them. Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho are dancing, Hongjoong nowhere to be found, since he left them ten minutes ago. Mingi is grinding back against Yunho, as well as Yeosang against Jongho, and San against Wooyoung. Yunho, Wooyoung, and Jongho don’t mind, grabbing their boyfriends’ hips or waists, and moving along to the beat of the music. Seonghwa is grinding his body, too, but against no one, just the air. He has his cup—which is half full of spiked pumpkin spice latté—in the air, grinding against the beat of the music. He's enjoying himself for the next minute, before he feels arms encircle themselves around his waist, making Seonghwa’s ass grind against their crotch. Seonghwa pulls away quickly, turning to see who is behind him.

But what he doesn’t expect is to see a silver-haired male wearing a crepe color velvet jacket that's underneath a black and white striped long sleeve shirt, and black jeans standing there, a small smug smile on his face.

Seonghwa’s jaw drops, and he quickly wraps his arms around the male’s neck, hugging him tightly. “J-Jimin!”

“Hi,” he chuckles, wrapping his arms around Seonghwa’s waist, and hugging him just as tight.

Seonghwa pulls away, a bright smile growing on his face. “I-I thought you weren’t coming yet!”

“I wanted it to be a surprise,” Jimin explains, sheepishly smiling. “Surprise!”

“I-I missed you!” Seonghwa says. 

“Do you want to talk somewhere more private?” Jimin asks. Seonghwa nods. They walk upstairs, shoving through people. Once they're upstairs, Seonghwa notices a familiar brown-haired male making out with a girl, whom he has pushed up against the wall. Seonghwa shakes his head, thinking it's probably his imagination. They soon arrive at an empty room, and Jimin closes the door behind them.

“W-when did you arrive?” Seonghwa says, sitting down on the bed.

“Earlier at ten in the morning,” Jimin answers. “I wanted to surprise you since I came early, so I asked a few people, and they said Lalisa Manoban was holding a party at her house. I’ve been to Lisa’s house before, and I know your friends were going to force you to come to the party.”

“Y-you know us so well,” Seonghwa giggles. “H-have you applied for your classes yet?”

Jimin nods. “Yeah. I’ve applied for dance, singing, songwriting, math, and Japanese.”

“I-I take dance, and math, too,” Seonghwa says. “We probably have the same periods.”

“Hopefully,” Jimin says. “You look very hot, by the way, Seonghwa.”

The male’s face heats up, turning red. He looks away from Jimin. “T-thanks. Y-you look nice, too.”

“Thanks.” The older smiles, grabbing Seonghwa’s cup from his hand, and taking a sip. He lets out a small wince, but takes another, chugging it down, until the cup is empty. Seonghwa looks at him surprised. Jimin smiles at him. “Ready to continue partying?”

Seonghwa nods, and they both get up, leaving the room. They walk back downstairs, the others too drunk to notice that there's someone new with Seonghwa. Jimin and Seonghwa go to the bar first to get new drinks, but they’re surprised to find Hongjoong there, too.

“O-oh, hey, Hongjoong,” Seonghwa surprisingly greets.

“Hey…” Hongjoong mutters, giving Seonghwa a weird look, before his eyes land on Jimin. His eyes slightly widen, and a smile grows on his face. “Hey, Jimin.”

“Hey, Hongjoong,” he returns, and the two give each other a bro hug. “Damn, I thought you were going to grow. Why are you still as short as you were in middle school?”

Hongjoong playfully smacks Jimin’s arm. “Shut up. You used to be short, too.”

“I grew,” he says. “You have a partner yet?”

Seonghwa notices how Jimin didn’t say ‘girlfriend’ but instead said ‘partner.’ Seonghwa finds that weird.

“No,” Hongjoong replies. “Don’t think I will soon, either.”

“W-why not?” Seonghwa finds the courage to ask.

Hongjoong looks at Seonghwa intensely, making the older look away, taking a small sip of his drink. Hongjoong turns to look at Jimin. “Do _you_ have a partner yet?”

“No,” Jimin chuckles. “Too busy focusing on school, y’know?”

“Yeah,” Hongjoong sighs, continuing to serve himself another drink.

“You know, I’m surprised you’re still sober,” Jimin says. “Usually, you’d be drunk as fuck right now.”

Hongjoong lets out a small shrug. “I like to stay sober, in case something happens. Well, I’ll catch you two later. I have a girl who’s waiting for me.” With that, he leaves, leaving Seonghwa with a broken heart once again.

“That lucky bitch,” Jimin crows. He turns to Seonghwa, seeing him with a small frown on his face. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Seonghwa’s small frown quickly turns into a small smile. “I-I was just thinking about…school.”

“Been there,” Jimin agrees. “Wanna head back to the dance floor?”

Seonghwa nods.

\--

Seven hours later, it’s one twenty-seven a.m., and Seonghwa finds himself pushed up against the wall by Hongjoong, the two locked into a heated makeout session. Hongjoong untucks Seonghwa’s shirt with his hands, sliding them underneath Seonghwa’s shirt. The raven-haired male shivers at the feeling of having Hongjoong’s slightly cold hands against his warm skin. Hongjoong’s hands trail up, and they lightly pinch Seonghwa’s nipples, making him let out a moan.

“Let’s take this to a bedroom,” Hongjoong mutters against Seonghwa’s lips.

The older nods and they walk toward an empty room. A few minutes ago, Seonghwa was on the dance floor with the rest, but with Jimin this time as well. A sexy song was playing, and Jimin was drunk, as well as Seonghwa. So, doing what drunk people do, Seonghwa grinds back against Jimin, the male putting his hands on his hips, and helping him grind. Seonghwa’s ass soon grinds against Jimin’s crotch, giving him a boner. Seonghwa just giggled and continued to tease Jimin. That is until Hongjoong found him, and dragged him away.

Now, as Hongjoong hardly thrusts into him, Seonghwa knows he shouldn’t be letting Hongjoong doing this. From the first time they had sex, and Hongjoong said ‘no homo tho’, Seonghwa should’ve known to stop. But did he? No. Why? Because Hongjoong is his drug, and Seonghwa doesn’t have the power to leave him.


	7. New Friends

The next morning Yunho is the first one to wake up. He finds himself lying down on top of the pool table, which he finds a bit weird. His head is throbbing, and he curses himself for drinking so much last night. Looking around, Yunho notices that he doesn’t see any of his friends in the room, just passed out people lying on the floor. Yunho sighs, and slides off the pool table, walking outside the room. He immediately notices Yeosang and heads toward him.

“Yeosang,” Yunho whispers, shaking the younger. “Yeosang, wake up.”

The raven-haired male lets out a small groan, turning onto his back. His eyes open up, and he squints his eyes at Yunho. “Y-Yunho? Ugh, what time is it?”

“I don’t know,” the older replies, helping Yeosang up. “Where are the others?”

“I don’t know,” the younger says. “I-I lost them after last night. Ugh, my head hurts.”

“Mine does, too,” Yunho agrees. “Come on, let’s go find them.”

Yeosang nods, and the two of them go on a search for the others. They find San next, who’s sitting on top of the kitchen counter, leaning back against the cupboards. The three then find Mingi, who’s laying in the bathtub of the first bathroom downstairs. The four then find Wooyoung, who’s surprisingly leaning back against the wall. The five then find Jongho, who’s lying down on a couch. 

“W-where’s Hongjoong and Seonghwa hyung?” San asks once the six of them are reunited.

“I-I think Seonghwa-hyung left after one a.m.,” Mingi mutters. 

“Did you see where he went?” Wooyoung says. Mingi shakes his head.

“Let’s split up, then,” Jongho suggests. “Yunho, Yeosang, and San hyung, you three take downstairs, and Mingi and Wooyoung hyung and I take upstairs. Deal?”

The others nod, before separating ways. Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho walk upstairs, searching through the rooms. They still don’t have any luck, but not even five minutes later, Mingi lets out a shriek, covering his mouth with his hands.

“What? What’s wrong?!” Wooyoung quickly dashes to Mingi, seeming to have heard him. Mingi just raises a shaky finger, pointing toward something or somewhere. Wooyoung follows toward where he’s pointing, his eyes widening once he sees Hongjoong and Seonghwa laying down on the same bed, _naked_. “I knew they were dating!” he squeals, but immediately regrets it.

“Shut up, Wooyoung,” Mingi groans.

“Sorry,” Wooyoung apologizes. He quickly turns around, eager to tell the rest. “Guys, come quick!”

The rest are a bit confused, but they walk up the stairs, wondering what Mingi and Wooyoung are looking at. But once their eyes land on Hongjoong and Seonghwa, they gasp.

“Th-they’re dating?!” Yunho quietly exclaims.

“I knew it!” San squeals.

 _They’re so stupid_ , Yeosang thinks to himself, shaking his head at Hongjoong and Seonghwa. _I’m going to kill Hongjoong-hyung later._ “Guys, they’re not dating.”

“Then how do you explain that?” Mingi points to Hongjoong and Seonghwa.

Yeosang shrugs. “Drunken mistake. Neither of you can say anything about this, got it?”

“Why not?” Wooyoung pouts. “We’ve been wanting them to date for so long.”

“Well, you can’t,” Yeosang says. “Now, if I find out you guys have, I’m coming for you.”

The rest gulp, a bit scared of Yeosong right now. He ushers them downstairs, making a mental note to himself to call Seonghwa later to wake them up.

\--

When Seonghwa wakes up, he hears his phone ringing.

(surprisingly, it stills has battery.)

He immediately answers the phone, the annoying ringtone hurting his ears and head. “H-hello?”

“Hey, hyung.” It’s Yeosang. “I just called you to wake you up. Get up.”

Seonghwa lets out a small groan, his head throbbing, as well as his lower back and ass. “W-where are you guys?”

“At Jongho’s and mine dorm,” Yeosang replies.

“You guys left? You traitors.”

“About that…we need to speak, hyung.”

Seonghwa stops what he’s doing, which is trying to get up from the bed, unsurprised that Hongjoong’s lying next to him. “Why?”

“Meet us here at our dorm with Hongjoong-hyung,” Yeosang says instead. “Bye, hyung.”

“Yeosang-” Seonghwa can’t say anything else since Yeosang ends the call. Seonghwa sighs, shaking his head. He pulls on his clothes, and once he’s done, he looks at Hongjoong, smiling softly at the younger’s sleeping face. Seonghwa reaches over, and lightly shakes Hongjoong. “Hongjoong, wake up. We need to go.” It takes a few minutes, but Hongjoong finally wakes up, squinting his eyes at Seonghwa.

“Ugh, what time is it?” Hongjoong groans.

“Um…” Seonghwa looks at his phone to check the time. “It’s ten thirty-one.”

“Where are we going?” Hongjoong grumbles, getting up.

Seonghwa tries to not look at Hongjoong, as he’s changing. “We’re…we’re going to Yeosang’s and Jongho’s dorm. Apparently, they have something to tell us.”

Hongjoong just nods, and they both walk out of the room. Seonghwa seems to have remembered about Jimin because he starts looking around for him.

“What are you looking for?” Hongjoong asks.

“Jimin,” Seonghwa replies. 

Hongjoong doesn’t bother to hide the fact that he rolls his eyes. “Why? He’s probably gone, anyway. I saw him leave last night.”

“How?” Seonghwa says. “We were…um…together last night, remember?”

“I got up to get a drink,” Hongjoong explains. “I bumped into him, and he told me he was going to go to his house.”

“Oh,” is the only thing Seonghwa can say. “Do you want some aspirin? Lisa leaves some in her kitchen.”

Hongjoong nods and they both walk toward the kitchen. Seonghwa serves them water, whilst Hongjoong gets out the pills. Seonghwa gulps down his pill, only drinking a bit of his water, but what surprises him is when Hongjoong grabs his cup, gulps down his pill with the remaining water in Seonghwa’s cup. Hongjoong ignores the surprised look on Seonghwa’s face and places the cup down in the sink.

“You want a ride?” Hongjoong questions.

Seonghwa nods. “P-please.”

Hongjoong leaves the kitchen, and Seonghwa follows behind him. They arrive at Hongjoong’s car, the younger unlocking the vehicle. They both get inside, Seonghwa letting out a small groan once his ass hits the seat. He notices that Hongjoong lets out a small smirk, turning on the car. Seonghwa glares at him, putting his seatbelt on. They drive in silence toward Yeosang’s and Jongho’s dorm, arriving minutes later. They walk toward the dorm, and Hongjoong knocks on the door. Not even a second later, the door is opened, Jongho’s face appearing.

“Hey, hyungs!” he greets excitedly, making Hongjoong and Seonghwa wince at his loud voice. Jongho smiles apologetically, letting them both inside. “Sorry. You guys hungry? Yunho-hyung made us some pancakes.”

“We’d love some,” Hongjoong says. “Thanks.” He greets the others, sitting down next to Yeosang. The younger shoots Hongjoong a small smirk, looking between him and Seonghwa.

“Why are you guys looking at us like that?” the oldest slowly asks as he sits next to San.

“I had to wait two hours to tell you guys this, so I’m going to just say it!” Mingi squeals. “We know you guys are dating!”

The room turns silent, Hongjoong’s and Seonghwa’s eyes widening. It’s silent for a few more seconds before Hongjoong bursts out laughing, doubling over. The rest except Yeosang—who raises a daring eyebrow at the second oldest—look at Hongjoong in confusion.

“Ah, I needed that laugh,” he says once he’s done, wiping a tear that manages to fall out of his eye away. “Guys, I’m not gay, and I wouldn’t date Seonghwa. That’d be weird.”

“We saw you two in the same bed this morning, though,” Wooyoung mutters. “You guys were naked, too.”

 _Fuck_ , Seonghwa curses to himself. “Th-that-”

“Don’t even try to deny, hyungs,” Jongho interrupts. “It’s fine if you guys think it’s weird, or something like that, but it’s our dream come true. When did you guys start dating?”

“We’re not dating,” Hongjoong repeats, a bit more sternly. “Geez. How many times do I have to say I’m not gay?”

“Hongjoong,” Seonghwa hisses in a warning tone. “Be nice.”

“Sorry.” Hongjoong rolls his eyes, and gets up. “If you guys need something from me, ask someone else. Bye.” With that, he storms out of Yeosang’s and Jongho’s dorm, slamming the door close behind him. Everyone else looks at each other, not knowing what to say.

“We’ll apologize to him later,” San sighs.

“Don’t,” Seonghwa says, grabbing his plate of pancakes, starting to dig in. “He’ll get over it soon.”

“He gets butthurt easily,” Yeosang suddenly says. “I’ve been noticing that lately.”

“He’s probably on his period,” Mingi chuckles, making the others laugh.

“Guys,” Seonghwa warns.

“Sorry.”

“But what you guys saw…was…true,” Seonghwa finally admits, Yeosang looking at him in surprise. _“However_ , Hongjoong and I are not together. We’re just sleeping around. You can call it a…friends with benefits type of thing.”

“I’m confused now,” Wooyoung says.

“Why?” Seonghwa asks.

“Because Hongjoong-hyung keeps saying he’s not gay,” Wooyoung explains, “but yet he still sleeps around with you. He does know that if he sleeps with you, a _guy_ , he _is_ gay, then?”

Seonghwa sighs. “‘It’s not gay if you say ‘no homo.’’” 

Jongho can’t help but burst out laughing. “Th-that’s what he’s told you before?”

“Yeah,” Seonghwa says. “He always says that whenever we’re done.”

“That’s a bitchy move,” Yunho frowns. “Have you told him something?”

Seonghwa shakes his head. “I’m too shy and scared to. I… As much as I don’t want to admit it, I do love sleeping around with Hongjoong, and I don’t want that stop.”

“Don’t you want more, though?” Yeosang asks. “You’ve told us before that you want to get into a relationship.”

“I do,” Seonghwa agrees. “But…I want to get with _Hongjoong_. I don’t want to get with anyone else.”

“Well, as you heard him say,” San sighs, “he’s not gay.”

\--

Two hours later, Seonghwa finds himself out with the younger six at a nearby diner. Hongjoong still hasn’t come back, which they find a bit weird since he usually returns after an hour. They try calling and texting him, but he never replies. They let it go eventually, and when Mingi announced he's hungry, the others agree, and they went to a nearby diner. 

But what they don’t expect is to see Jimin there, too.

Mingi looks at Jimin in surprise. “Is that…?” 

“That’s Jimin,” Seonghwa confirms.

Yeosang’s, San’s, and Mingi’s eyes widen, and they don’t waste a second before dashing to Jimin, tapping his shoulder. Once he turns around, the three engulf him into a tight hug. Jimin’s a bit surprised, but he hugs back, recognizing them.

“Jimin!” Yeosang squeals, pulling away. “Oh my god! I thought Seonghwa-hyung said you were coming in three weeks!”

“I wanted to surprise you guys,” Jimin explains, smiling at them. “I missed you all.”

“We missed you, too,” San returns, and hugs Jimin again.

“Who’s this?” Yunho asks, a bit jealous that a random guy is hugging Mingi.

“Guys, this is Park Jimin,” he introduces. “Jimin, the one with black hair is my boyfriend, Jeong Yunho.”

“The one next to Yunho is mine, Choi Jongho,” Yeosang adds.

“And the one with purple hair is mine, Jung Wooyoung,” San concludes. “And you remember Seonghwa-hyung, right?”

“We saw each other at the party,” the second oldest finally says. “Nice to see you again, Jimin.”

Before the oldest can return the words, Mingi gasps in fake hurt. “How dare you not tell us, hyung?”

“We were all drunk,” Seonghwa giggles. “I doubt you guys would even care.”

“True,” Yeosang mutters. “Anyway, how long are you going to stay in Seoul, Jimin?”

“Let me greet your guys’ boyfriends first,” he chuckles. Jimin looks at Yunho, Wooyoung, and Jongho, sticking out his hand. “Hi. I’m Park Jimin. Nice to meet you guys.”

“Likewise,” Wooyoung returns, shaking his hand. “Should we go sit at a table?”

Jimin nods, and they all choose an empty table that can sit the eight of them. The couples sit next to each other, whilst Seonghwa sits next to Jimin. 

“So, how do you guys know each other?” Jongho asks after they’re done ordering their food.

“Well, Jimin-hyung and I met in third grade,” Seonghwa begins. “I was new in first grade, and so was hyung in third, so we bonded over that.”

“Seonghwa-hyung then introduced Jimin-hyung to us, and we clicked,” Yeosang continues. “Sadly, he moved away in fifth grade, and we haven’t seen in other since.”

“Speaking of which, are you single, Jimin?” San questions.

Jimin nods. “I haven’t had a partner since eleventh grade.”

“Oh, what a loser,” Mingi teases, making Jimin playfully shove him.

“I’ve just been too busy focusing on school,” Jimin explains.

“You can still date,” Yunho says.

Jimin lets out a small shrug. “I know. But if I don’t, I’d have more time to hang out with my friends and focus on school.” He wraps his arm around Seonghwa’s shoulder. “So the rest have boyfriends. What about you, Seonghwa?”

“Oh, I’m still single,” he says. 

“Loser,” Jimin mocks Mingi’s words from earlier.

“I’m focusing on school, too,” Seonghwa huffs, pouting at Jimin.

The older chuckles, pinching Seonghwa’s cheek. “You’re so cute, Seonghwa-ssi.”

The ravenette turns a light shade of red, and the youngers watch them with small smirks on their face. They look at each other, making an unspoken agreement between them.


	8. Do You Like Him?

Though Seonghwa catches the youngers’ look at each other, and he shakes his head at them. The others nod back, and, before Seonghwa can say or do anything else, the waitress comes back with their meals.

“Enjoy your meal,” she bids, bowing before she leaves.

“Wow, this looks delicious,” Jimin mutters, starting to dig in.

“I know we’ve only known each other for a few minutes,” Yunho speaks up, looking at Jimin, “and if you don’t mind me asking, Jimin, what do you think about Seonghwa-hyung?”

“What do you mean?” Jimin asks, not noticing Seonghwa glaring daggers at the youngers.

“Like, do you think he’s pretty?” Yeosang clarifies. “You’re bisexual, right?”

Jimin nods. “Yeah.”

“So would you date Seonghwa-hyung?” San continues.

Jimin’s eyes slightly widen, and he looks at San, before looking at Seonghwa. The male is a bit surprised, but he lets out a small smile. Jimin’s gaze drops toward Seonghwa’s lips, before looking back up at Seonghwa’s eyes. “Yeah, I would.”

Seonghwa’s face immediately turns red, and Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho smirk at each other. 

“Well, you two are single,” Mingi reminds. “Maybe you two could get together.”

Jimin looks at Seonghwa, wrapping an arm around his waist, and pulling him closer to his side. “What do you say, Seonghwa? Should we ‘get together’?”

Seonghwa turns a darker shade of red, pulling away from Jimin. “M-maybe later.”

“I’ll ask you a date soon,” the oldest promises, and neither he nor Seonghwa miss the way the other six let out a squeal, waggling their eyebrows at Seonghwa.

\--

“You guys are so embarrassing,” the oldest whines, as he and the younger six walk back toward San’s and Wooyoung’s dorm.

“What did we do?” he asks innocently.

Seonghwa rolls his eyes, letting out a small pout. “You guys know what you did.”

Jongho smiles sheepishly, wrapping his arm around Seonghwa’s shoulder. “Well, we’re sorry for trying to get you a date, hyung. The last time you had a date was back in senior year.”

“And when you had a _boyfriend_ ,” Yunho adds, “was back in fifth grade.”

“How do you know that?” Seonghwa questions.

Yunho points to Yeosang, San, and Mingi. “They told me.”

Seonghwa rolls his eyes again. “Of course they did. You guys are such gossips.”

“Thank you.” Yeosang bows, making the others laugh. “But the real question is…do you have a crush on Jimin, hyung?”

Seonghwa stays quiet for a bit, making the others look at him anxiously. Finally, Seonghwa replies: “Y-yeah, I think I d-do.”

“Then date him!” San practically exclaims. “What are you waiting for?”

“W-what about Hongjoong?” Seonghwa reminds.

“Hongjoong-hyung isn’t even gay,” Mingi scoffs. “If he says he’s not gay then he can’t get mad when you get a boyfriend.”

“I still like him, though,” Seonghwa frowns. “I probably like him more than Jimin-hyung.”

“Well, you want to get over Hongjoong-hyung, right?” Wooyoung says. 

Seonghwa nods.

“Then date Jimin-hyung,” Jongho continues. “You deserve to have a boyfriend, hyung.”

“I don’t know…” Seonghwa mutters, making the others groan. “I’ll…I’ll think about it,” he assures.

\--

Later, Hongjoong finds himself in a random girl’s dorm. He doesn’t remember her name, but he thinks it's probably Sooya or something like that. Currently, the girl is straddling his lap, the two sitting down on the couch. Hongjoong’s hands are underneath her skirt, sliding up her creamy and soft thighs. _Seonghwa’s thighs are softer_ , Hongjoong suddenly thinks to himself. _What the fuck, Hongjoong?_

“Are you okay?” the girl asks, wondering why Hongjoong pulled away.

“I’m fine,” he replies, bringing the girl down for another kiss. They start kissing again, but Hongjoong’s mind drifts back to Seonghwa. He soon starts unbuttoning the girl’s top, revealing her gray bra. Before anything else can happen, though, they both hear a phone ringing.

“Is that yours?” the girl says.

“Yeah, sorry,” Hongjoong mutters, taking out his phone. He checks the caller ID: it's his mom. Sighing, he taps the girl’s hip, and she gets off his lap. He answers the call, excusing himself to the bathroom. “Hello?”

“Hey, sweetie,” his mom greets. “Where are you?”

Hongjoong rolls his eyes. “I’m at the university, mom. Why are you calling?”

“You need to come home,” she says. 

“Why?” The last time Hongjoong had gone home was because his aunt died. Hongjoong is sure the rest of his family members are alive and healthy.

“Your father’s sick,” his mom explains.

“So?” Hongjoong scoffs. “I couldn't care less for that bastard.”

“Hongjoong!” his mom exclaims. “Don’t talk about your father like that!”

Hongjoong rolls his eyes again. “Then tell him to stop acting like one. What’s wrong with him?”

“He’s been diagnosed with lung cancer,” his mom says sadly. “I always keep telling him to stop smoking, but he doesn’t listen to me. The doctor says he’s in stage one, which is good, but the cancer is spreading quickly. We…we don’t know how much time he has left, Hongjoong.”

“Wait, then who’s going to take care of the company?” he asks, barely realizing it.

“Well, your dad’s not dead yet, Hongjoong,” his mom reminds. 

“He’s not going to be able to take care of the company right now,” Hongjoong says.

“Well…you _are_ the heir,” his mom mutters. 

Hongjoong’s eyes widen, as he realizes what his mom is trying to say. “I am not going to take care of the company, mom!”

“You’re the heir, Hongjoong,” she repeats. “Besides you’ve been studying business, so you should know the basics by now.”

Hongjoong curses under his breath. He lied to his parents about majoring in business, so they would let him go to a university with his friends instead of a private one. “Y-yeah, totally. I-I totally haven’t been studying something else.”

“For now, your father’s in his office,” his mom continues. “He’ll be staying there until the doctor says he has to go home and rest in bed. Until then, Hongjoong, you’re going to have to come home.”

“I don’t want to,” he frowns. 

“We’re not asking if you want to,” his mom sighs. “You _have_ to come home, Hongjoong. Got it?”

The brown-haired male sighs this time, knowing he can’t win this argument. “Fine. Call me if anything happens. I need to leave.” Hence why the door is knocking, and the girl’s worried voice is asking if he is okay.

“Alright,” his mom mumbles. “Love you, sweetie.”

“Love you, too, mom,” Hongjoong returns with a soft smile, before hanging up. He leaves his phone on the sink, telling himself to get it later before he opens the door. The girl is standing on the other side, her shirt only half-buttoned up. She looks relieved once she sees Hongjoong.

“Is everything okay?” she asks.

“Everything’s fine,” Hongjoong replies, and he picks her up. “Now where were we?”

\--

“W-what did he say?” the male says once he sees his wife hanging up the call.

“He said he’d be here,” she says. “Don’t worry about it, love.”

The male coughs, and continues to do so. His wife hurriedly goes to his side, handing him a napkin. “I-I’m getting worse and worse, Jin-joo.”

“I know you are,” she says, kissing his forehead. “But don’t worry, Hongjoong will take care of the company.”

“That’s not the only thing I care about,” her husband reminds. “I-I want grandchildren.”

“Love, you know Hongjoong isn’t in a relationship,” Jin-joo, Hongjoong’s mom, says.

“Doesn’t have a girlfriend,” his dad corrects. 

Jin-joo rolls her eyes. “What’s wrong with him having a boyfriend?”

“It’ll make bad publicity,” her husband grumbles. “It’ll be bad for the company.”

“What do you care about more, Byung-woo?” Jin-joo demands. “Your company that has enough budget, or your son being happy?”

Byung-woo, Hongjoong’s father, doesn’t say anything. Jin-joo lets out a small sigh, knowing what that means. 

He cares more about his company than about Hongjoong being happy.

\--

Later that day, Seonghwa finds himself in his room, tidying it up, as well as cleaning it. Even though it's already clean, he feels like it can be cleaner, hence why Yunho was just shaking his head at him, as he grabbed the cleaning supplies. Seonghwa is now making his bed, tucking the corners underneath the bed. He's starting to put the pillows on it when his phone starts to ring. A bit confused, Seonghwa takes his phone out, checking the caller ID: Jimin. Seonghwa’s face turns red, and he answers the call. “H-hello?”

“Hey, Seonghwa,” Jimin greets. “What are you doing right now?”

“I…I was doing my bed,” Seonghwa replies. 

“You’re still a clean freak?” Jimin laughs.

“Sh-shut up,” Seonghwa mutters defensively. “Wanting things clean and perfect is not being a freak.”

“You’re just like Monica from _Friends_ ,” Jimin teases, making Seonghwa roll his eyes.

“You’re just jealous that you can’t clean as nice as me,” he huffs. 

“Sure,” Jimin snickers. 

“Did you just call me to make fun of me?” Seonghwa demands, but he’s just playing around, too.

“Yes, but I also called for something else,” Jimin replies.

“What?”

“Are you free tomorrow?” Jimin asks.

“Um…” Seonghwa checks his calendar. Tomorrow is Sunday, and that day he and the others—as well as Hongjoong, but Seonghwa doubts the younger will come—would go to the diner they went to today to have a brunch, and then just hang out together. Either to the movies, the park, or just chill in their dorms. Sunday is their only day off, so they like spending it together. “Sorry, but I’m not. It’s the only day where the others and I can hang out. Why?”

“Well, I was wondering if you…if you’d like to go on a date with me tomorrow,” Jimin explains, and Seonghwa’s jaw drops to the floor. 

“W-what?”

“It’s okay if you don’t want to,” Jimin quickly assures. “It’s just I kept thinking about what the others said earlier, and I did have a crush on you back in fourth grade, and I don’t think it ever went away. Now that we’re reunited and older, I thought why not?”

Seonghwa smiles, feeling his face heat up. “I’ll…I’ll see what I can do.”

“Okay,” Jimin says. “Call me when you make your decision.”

“I will,” Seonghwa promises. “Bye.”

“Bye.”

Seonghwa hangs up the call, and immediately lets out a squeal. Yunho comes running to his door. It isn’t normal that Seonghwa suddenly lets out a squeal. Unless he sees a spider or something.

“Are you okay, hyung?” Yunho asks. “Where’s the spider?”

“There’s no spider, Yunho,” Seonghwa giggles.

“Then?”

Seonghwa purses his lips, before he says, “J-Jimin-hyung just asked me if I wanted to go on a date with him.”

Yunho’s jaw drops, just as Seonghwa’s had. “F-for real?! When?!”

“He just called me,” the older says.

“W-what did you say?” Yunho eagerly questions.

“Um…” Seonghwa curses to himself. “I said…that I’d see.”

“Why?!” 

“Tomorrow’s the day where we all hang out, remember?” Seonghwa says. “I didn’t want that not to happen just because I’m going on a date with Jimin-hyung.”

“Hyung, we’d be okay with it,” Yunho reminds. “Call Jimin-hyung back, and say you’d _love_ to go on a date with him. Do that, and I’ll be back. I’ma go tell the others.”

“Yunho-”

He's already gone.

Seonghwa sighs, shaking his head. Nervously, he grabs his phone again and dials Jimin’s number. He just stares at the screen for a few seconds, before he presses the green call button. The line rings for a few seconds before the call is picked up, Jimin’s lovely voice saying, “Couldn’t get enough of me, huh?”

“Sh-shut up,” Seonghwa giggles shyly.

“So, did you make a decision?” Jimin asks.

“Yeah,” Seonghwa replies. “And…I’d love to go on a date with you tomorrow, hyung.”

“Awesome,” Jimin says. “What about your hangout with your friends, though?”

“I’m sure we can reschedule it for next Sunday,” Seonghwa says. 

“Alrighty, then,” Jimin says. “Are you free at four tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” Seonghwa answers.

“I’ll pick you up at four, then. Also, don’t put on anything too fancy. Just dress casual, m’kay?”

“O-okay,” Seonghwa mutters. “B-bye.”

“Bye.” Their call ends.

Seonghwa takes a deep breath, feeling as if his face is on fire by how hard he's blushing. He lets out another squeal, but it isn’t long before he hears rushed footsteps run toward his bedroom. A wild Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho appear.

“So?!”

“I’m going on a date with hyung tomorrow,” Seonghwa confirms.

The rest erupt into cheers and chaos, Jongho even running toward Seonghwa, and picking him up excitedly. The oldest lets out a small giggle, and Jongho places him down soon, hugging him tightly.

“Oh, we’re so happy for you, hyung!” Yeosang squeals. “What are you going to wear?”

“Hyung said to just wear casual clothes,” Seonghwa says. “Nothing too fancy.”

“‘Nothing too fancy’ my ass,” San grumbles. “Let me look through your closet.”

“San-”

“What time is Jimin-hyung going to pick you up?” Mingi asks, interrupting Seonghwa.

“At four,” he replies.

“Which means we only have twenty-three hours, thirty-one minutes, and thirty seconds to get you ready,” Wooyoung says. “We can do this, guys.”

“The date isn’t until tomorrow, guys,” Seonghwa reminds.

“Hyung, it’s your first date with _Jimin-hyung_ ,” Jongho prompts. _“Park Jimin_. From what I hear from Yeosang, San, and Mingi hyung, you’re lucky to be dating this guy. To be honest, I’m kind of surprised he’s into someone like you.”

“Jongho!” Seonghwa looks at the youngest in surprise.

“I don’t mean it in a bad way,” he quickly assures. “I just mean that usually people like Jimin-hyung go for more popular people. Not their friends.”

“Well, Jimin-hyung’s different,” Seonghwa says, a soft smile on his face. 

“The real question is,” Yunho says, “do _you_ like Jimin, hyung?”

“Well, I-I’ve never really thought about it,” Seonghwa admits. “But yeah, I do. I used to have a small crush on him back in fourth grade, too, but it went away when he left. But now that he’s back…I think it returned.”

“I’m happy for you, hyung,” Yeosang says, sniffling, as he engulfs Seonghwa into a hug. “You’re growing up.”

“I’m older than all of you, Kang.” 

“Still,” San says, finally looking up from Seonghwa’s closet. “We’re happy that you’re going on a date. You never know, but you might marry Jimin-hyung, and have a life with him.”

“San’s right,” Mingi agrees. “Jimin-hyung might be your whole future, hyung.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Seonghwa mutters, even though he knows it’s wrong that he's hoping _Hongjoong_ would be his future.


	9. The Date

Later that night, around nine thirty-nine, Seonghwa takes a shower to head to bed. He's tired, especially from cleaning, so he decides to end the day there. Yunho calls him weird for going to bed so early, and Seonghwa ignores him. He takes a nice shower, changes into an oversized shirt and pink pajama pants, brushes his teeth, and goes to bed with a smile on his face, expecting to have a good day tomorrow.

But what he totally _doesn’t_ expect is his sheets getting taken away from his body, and a hand pulling him up hours later. Seonghwa stumbles, but the owner of the hand catches him before his face can say hi to the ground.

“Morning, hyung!” an enthusiastic voice greets, walking inside his room.

“San?” Seonghwa’s vision turns clearer, seeing Yeosang in front of him, holding his arm, San entering the room, as well as Yunho, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho.

“Hey,” the four address.

“What time is it?” Seonghwa asks, letting out a small yawn.

“Four in the morning,” Yunho replies, and Seonghwa’s eyes grow so wide they almost fall out of their sockets.

 _“Four in the morning?!”_ The oldest looks at the others as if they’re crazy, which they kind of are.

Yeosang nods “Yeah. We need to start getting you ready.”

“Guys, my date isn’t for another twelve hours,” Seonghwa groans. “Let me sleep.”

“No,” San denies. “You need to look good for your first date with Jimin-hyung.”

“I can start getting ready around one,” Seonghwa mutters. “Just let me sleep.”

“Should we let him?” he hears Mingi whisper to the others.

“Yeah,” Wooyoung sighs. “He’s going to need his energy.”

“We’ll let you sleep, then,” Jongho huffs, but Seonghwa’s already burying himself into his covers, not paying any attention to what they’re saying. “Sleep well, hyung.”

Seonghwa nods, before falling asleep once again.

\--

Around eight forty-nine a.m. is when Seonghwa wakes up. By himself, thankfully. He hears chatter from the living room and kitchen, but he’s not surprised the youngers stayed over. Seonghwa gets up, stretching his body, before leaving his room. He walks toward the living room, indeed seeing Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho talking amongst themselves.

“Morning,” Seonghwa greets.

“Morning, hyung,” the youngers greet back in unison.

“Are we going to the brunch?” Seonghwa asks.

“Do _you_ want to?” Yunho says.

“Um, yeah,” Seonghwa replies, nodding. “Are you guys ready?”

“Yeah,” Yeosang says. “Let’s go, then.”

“Let me change,” Seonghwa says, turning to walk toward his room, but a hand grabs his arm.

“Just go like that,” San says.

“In my pajamas?”

“Yeah. We’ve all done it before, anyway.”

Seonghwa looks at San in confusion, but then shrugs, feeling too lazy to change, anyway. They all walk toward the diner, deciding to walk, instead of driving. They talk and laugh amongst themselves when something hits Seonghwa.

“Hey, what about Hongjoong?” he asks.

“He’s at his parents’ house,” Mingi informs.

Seonghwa’s eyes slightly widen. Hongjoong once told him he’d rather eat his own hand than go back to his house, especially since his father is there. “Really? Why?”

“His mom called him and said his father was diagnosed with lung cancer,” Wooyoung explains. “So he packed his bags and went back to his house. I think they only wanted him to come home, so he could take care of his father’s company.”

“When did he tell you guys?” Seonghwa questions. Hongjoong never told him.

“Last night,” Jongho replies. 

“Oh.” Seonghwa feels hurt that Hongjoong didn’t tell him. Aren’t they still at least friends? 

“I’m sure Hongjoong-hyung meant to tell you, hyung,” Yunho quickly speaks up, noticing the frown on Seonghwa’s face. “He called us around ten, and you were already asleep.”

“I guess,” the oldest mutters. “I’ll just call him later, then.”

\--

Even though Seonghwa had said he’d start getting ready around one, the others make him start at twelve-thirty p.m. They go back to Seonghwa’s and Yunho’s dorm around eleven-thirty a.m., and when the clock strikes twelve-thirty, they drag Seonghwa to his room, telling him to shower, and ignoring that he says he already showered last night.

“Well, I’m finished showering,” he announces. “Even though I literally showered last night.”

“You’re _extra_ cleaner now, hyung.” Yeosang innocently smiles. He grabs an outfit and hands it to Seonghwa. “It took us around three hours, but we finally decided on the right outfit. Try it on, hyung.”

Seonghwa nods and walks back inside the bathroom. He unwraps the towel around his waist and hangs it on the towel rack, so it can dry. He looks at the outfit Yeosang handed him, and changes into it: a red and black striped long-sleeved shirt french tucked into black ripped jeans, a black belt tied around it, with a silver chain hanging from the right hip. Seonghwa pulls on black combat boots, wraps two thin chokers around his neck, as well as a silver necklace dangling from it. He looks at himself in the mirror, surprised that the outfit isn’t fancy at all, and is casual, just like Jimin had said. Seonghwa steps out of the bathroom, making all eyes look at him.

“Damn,” San drawls, letting out a wolf whistle. “You look nice, hyung.”

Seonghwa smiles at him. “Thanks.” 

“Now sit down, so I can do your makeup,” Mingi says, patting the chair in front of Seonghwa’s desk.

“Mingi-”

“Sit,” he orders, and Seonghwa glares at him, but still sits down on the chair.

“I’m not a dog,” he grumbles, crossing his arms.

“I know.” Mingi smiles at him, making Seonghwa roll his eyes. Mingi soon starts on his makeup, which is just a light coat of peach eyeshadow on his eyes, black liquid eyeliner and mascara, and a light coat of pink lipgloss on his eyes. 

“I’ll do your hair!” Wooyoung volunteers once Mingi’s done.

“Wooyoung-”

“Let him, hyung,” San speaks up. “You know how stubborn Wooyoung is.”

Seonghwa frowns at Wooyoung but still lets him do his hair. The purple-haired male smiles in triumph, and walks to the bathroom, coming back with the blow dryer and a straightener. He blow-dries Seonghwa’s hair, and once it’s dry, he starts straightening the oldest’s hair. He brushes the bangs down and looks at his masterpiece in the mirror.

“Perfect,” he mutters. “All done!”

“Thanks, guys,” Seonghwa says, looking at himself in the mirror.

Jongho smiles, helping him up. “You’re welcome.” 

“What time is it?” Seonghwa asks.

Yunho checks his watch. “It’s…three forty-five.”

Seonghwa’s eyes widen. “It’s been that long?! I literally got into the shower, changed, Mingi did my makeup, and- Oh.”

“Jimin-hyung is going to arrive in fifteen minutes,” Yeosang squeals, clapping his hands. “Now, hyung, if you get some tonight, you better tell us.”

“Yeosang!” Seonghwa exclaims, feeling his face heat up. “I’m just going on a _date_! I’m not going on a _sex_ date!”

“You never know,” San says, letting out a small shrug.

Soenghwa rolls his eyes. “I can not believe you guys sometimes.”

“You love us,” Mingi reminds.

“Sadly.” For the next long fourteen minutes, the seven wait for the doorbell to ring that indicates Jimin’s arrival. Once they hear the doorbell ring fourteen minutes later, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho are quick to spring up, rushing to the door. Seonghwa sighs at them, getting up. He walks toward the door, seeing the younger seven bombarding Jimin with questions. “Guys, leave Jimin-hyung alone,” he says, grabbing his wallet, keys, and phone.

Pouting, the younger seven do as they’re told, letting Seonghwa and Jimin look at each other. Once Seonghwa’s eyes land on Jimin, he realizes he’s dressed in a white shirt, dark blue jeans, with a sky blue leather jacket on top. Even though the outfit is simple, Jimin still looks hot.

“W-wow,” the silver-haired male speaks up, breaking Seonghwa out of his thoughts. “You look _amazing_ , Seonghwa.”

“Th-thanks.” A light red dust Seonghwa’s cheeks. “Y-you look nice, too, hyung.”

The oldest male smiles. “Thanks. Ready to go?”

Seonghwa nods, and he walks toward the door. Before he and Jimin can leave, he turns toward the others. “I’ll see you guys later. Bye. Behave.”

“Bye, hyungs!” the youngers say teasingly, and Seonghwa rolls his eyes at them, before closing the door behind him and Jimin.

“So, where are we going to go?” Seonghwa asks as they walk toward Jimin’s car.

“That’s a surprise,” he replies, a playful smile on his face.

“Can you at least give me a small hint?” Seonghwa says, a bit pleadingly.

Jimin shakes his head. “Nope.”

Seonghwa pouts, but gets an idea. He leans toward Jimin and presses a soft kiss on Jimin’s cheek, liking the way the older’s cheeks turn red immediately. _“Now_ can you give me a hint?”

“Fine,” he gives in. Jimin motions for Seonghwa to come closer, and he does. Jimin’s lips trail to his ear, and he whispers, “We’re going…to a place.” He then pulls away, laughing as Seonghwa glares at him.

“You’re no fun,” Seonghwa pouts.

Jimin chuckles, wrapping an arm around Seonghwa’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Seonghwa. I have a whole day ahead of us.”

“Alright,” the younger mutters, a bit uncertain.

\--

“I really hope Seonghwa-hyung’s date goes well,” Yunho says around two minutes after Jimin and Seonghwa have left.

“Me, too,” Yeosang agrees, collapsing down on the couch. “He should pay us back, though. We poured all of our blood, sweat, and tears for him and Jimin-hyung to get together.”

“We should go to a club,” San suggests, his eyes lighting up at the idea. “We could all get drunk again, and do something stupid.”

“Why are you excited about that?” Mingi asks, giving San a weird look.

“Why do you look so surprised, Mingi?” Wooyoung says. “This is San you’re talking about, remember?”

“Ah, right.”

“Wouldn’t it be nice if Jimin and Seonghwa hyung got married, though?” Jongho says, bringing them back to their original subject. “Hell, if men could get pregnant, they’d make a _beautiful_ baby.”

“They would,” the rest agree in unison.

“By the way…” Yunho says, making the rest look at him, “…do you guys think Hongjoong-hyung would mind if Seonghwa-hyung got with Jimin-hyung?”

“I don’t think so,” Yeosang replies. “I mean, he said it himself: he doesn’t really care what Seonghwa-hyung does. Even if he did, Hongjoong-hyung can’t get mad, since he’s ‘not gay.’”

“We all know he is, though,” San chuckles.

“Why do you guys think he says he’s not?” Mingi questions.

“Probably because of his dad,” Wooyoung sighs. “If his dad knew he was gay he’d disown him.”

“Why should Hongjoong-hyung care, though?” Jongho says. “He has his own job, lives here in the university, and he’s about to be twenty.”

“Have you forgotten that hyung is the son of the most famous CEO here in South Korea, Jongho?” Yunho reminds. “There’s _no way_ Hongjoong-hyung’s dad will let hyung get a boyfriend, let alone let the public find out.”

“Hongjoong-hyung’s dad can suck my dick,” Yeosang frowns, crossing his arms. “I don’t like him. Even from the first time I met him, I knew I was going to hate him.”

“He can suck on my dick, too,” San agrees. “I hope he chokes on it.”

Yeosang nods in agreement, and he and San high five. The others look at them weirdly. Before anyone else can say anything, though, someone’s phone starts ringing. They look through their pockets and find out it’s Mingi’s phone that’s ringing.

“It’s Hongjoong-hyung,” he informs. Mingi answers the call, putting the phone on speaker. “Hey, hyung.”

“Hey, Mingi,” Hongjoong returns. “Where are you guys?”

“We’re at Seonghwa-hyung’s and Yunho’s dorm. Why?”

“I’m coming over.” 

“Why? What happened?” Mingi worriedly asks.

“I’ll explain everything when I got there,” Hongjoong assures, before hanging up.

“He probably got into another argument with his dad,” Wooyoung says. 

Around eight minutes later, they hear the doorbell ring. Jongho gets up and walks toward the door. He looks through the peephole, just in case, and sees Hongjoong on the other side. He opens the door, smiling at the older.

“Hi, hyung,” Jongho greets.

“Hey.” Hongjoong gives Jongho a small smile, walking inside the dorm. Jongho closes the door behind him.

“Hi, hyung,” the rest except Jongho say in unison.

“Hi,” Hongjoong greets back, sitting down on the couch. “I’m sorry, by the way, for how I talked to you guys last time. I don’t have any excuses, nor a good explanation, but I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I shouldn’t…I shouldn’t have spoken to you guys like that.”

“It’s okay, hyung,” Yunho reassures. “Do you want water or something?”

“Whiskey is okay,” Hongjoong mutters. “Bring the whole bottle.”

“Woah, you okay, hyung?” Yeosang asks, a worried frown on his face.

“I don’t know…” Hongjoong mumbles, his face a bit pale. Yunho soon comes back with a small glass, as well as the whiskey bottle. He places it down in front of Hongjoong and serves him a cup. Hongjoong quickly thanks him, before grabbing the cup and downing all of it in one gulp. The others look at him in surprise, but he ignores their look, sighing in relief. “God, I needed that,” he whispers. 

“Hyung, are you okay?” San repeats. “Maybe we should take you to the hospital.”

“I’m fine, guys,” Hongjoong quickly says. “Well, kinda.”

“What do you mean ‘kinda’?” Mingi demands. “What’s going on, hyung?”

Hongjoong gulps, and he looks up to look at the others. “I think…I think I’m going to be the new CEO of my father’s company.”

“W-why do you say that?” Wooyoung questions.

“My father…he’s…he’s in the hospital right now,” Hongjoong explains. “He…he suddenly got a heart attack, and I think it’s all my fault because we were arguing, and now he’s in the hospital, and the doctor said she doesn’t know how much time he has left, and that means I’m going to be the new CEO soon, which I’m not ready for, and for god’s sake, I’m only nineteen!”

“Okay, first, you gotta calm down, hyung,” Jongho coaxes. Hongjoong looks at him with hysteric eyes. “Follow what I do.” Jongho then inhales deeply, Hongjoong copying him. Jongho exhales a few seconds later, Hongjoong doing the same. They do this for the next minute until Hongjoong starts feeling calmer. “Better?”

“Yeah, thanks,” the oldest out of the seven of them murmurs. “I just…I don’t think I’m ready to be the CEO. My dad’s business partner is better off being the CEO than I am.”

“Hyung, _you’re_ the heir,” Yunho reminds. 

“I know I am,” Hongjoong says. “I don’t want to be. I came to university to major in music to become a producer. M-my parents told me I had to major in business, but I majored in music instead. God, my parents are going to kill me.”

“Hyung, you’re going to be fine,” Yeosang assures. He grabs the whiskey bottle and serves Hongjoong another glass. “Drink.”

Hongjoong nods, emptying the glass quickly. “B-by the way…where’s Seonghwa?”

The others look at each other, not knowing whether they should lie or tell the truth. 

“He’s…he’s on a date,” San finally says.

“With who?”

Mingi purses his lips, before saying, “P-Park Jimin?”

Hongjoong’s eyes widen, and he doesn’t know why, but he feels…betrayed and hurt. He tries to shake off the feelings, but they don’t go away. “O-oh. That’s nice.”

“You don’t care…?” Wooyoung says.

“No,” Hongjoong lies. “He can date whoever he wants. We’re not in a relationship.”

“Are you sure, hyung?” Jongho asks. “If you don’t want Seonghwa-hyung to date anyone else, and want to be with him, tell him. Don’t let Jimin-hyung take him away.”

“Yeah,” Yunho agrees. “Even though we’re rooting for Seongmin, we’re rooting for Seongjoong, too.”

“What’s ‘Seongmin’ and ‘Seongjoong’?” Hongjoong says, looking at them in confusion.

“‘Seongmin’ is Seonghwa and Jimin hyung’s relationship name,” Yeosang explains. “‘Seongjoong’ is yours and Seonghwa-hyung’s.”

“Oh.” Hongjoong can’t believe his friends made a ship name for him and Seonghwa, but if he's being honest…he doesn’t mind. In fact, he likes it. He and Seonghwa _should_ have a relationship name because _they_ look cute together. _They_ would make a cute couple. _They’d_ be relationship goals. _They’d_ be each other’s future. _They’d_ be happy together. _Seonghwa_ belongs to _Hongjoong_ , and _Hongjoong_ belongs to _Seonghwa_.

“Hyung, you okay…?” San asks slowly. “You seem a bit dozed out.”

“I’m fine,” Hongjoong lies. “Really.”

The others don’t seem to believe him, but they just nod.

\--

Jimin drives Seonghwa back to his dorm around eleven thirty-three p.m. They both know it's late, but if they're being honest, they lost track of time. They just had so much fun together, but sadly, times goes by fast when you’re having fun. 

“Today was fun, hyung,” Seonghwa says, glancing at the older’s side profile. “Thanks for today.”

“You’re welcome.” Jimin smiles at him, parking into an empty parking space that's near Seonghwa’s dorm. “Hopefully, we can do this again…?”

Seonghwa nods in agreement. “Yeah. That’d be nice.” Jimin smiles, and Seonghwa unbuckles himself. He looks back at Jimin, and the two just stare at each other’s eyes, before their gazes drop to their lips. They start leaning in, and eventually, their lips touch. Jimin’s hand cups Seonghwa’s cheek, pulling him closer. Seonghwa softly grabs Jimin’s bicep, kissing him back. Their lips softly move in sync, the two enjoying the feeling of each other’s lips. They soon pull away, because of air, and before their kiss can escalate. Seonghwa is breathing a bit heavily, but he's fine. His cheeks blossom into a light red color, and he smiles at Jimin. “Bye,” he says softly.

“Bye, Seonghwa,” Jimin returns. “I’ll call you.”

Seonghwa nods, getting out of Jimin’s car. He waves bye at the older again, before starting to walk to his dorm. A few seconds later, he hears Jimin’s car drive away, and Seonghwa smiles, as he remembers the feeling of Jimin’s lips on his. He's sure his lips are a bit swollen and red, but surprisingly…he doesn’t mind. Seonghwa soon arrives at his dorm, and he takes out his key, unlocking the door. He walks inside, taking off his shoes. He closes the door behind him, opens his mouth to announce he is back, but he’s surprised to see Hongjoong in the kitchen once he looks up.

“Oh, hey, Hongjoong,” he greets. 

“Hey,” Hongjoong returns, a bit quieter than usual. “H-how did your date go?”

For a second, Seonghwa thinks Hongjoong seems a bit duller than usual, because Seonghwa went on a date, but that thought goes away quickly. Seonghwa lets out a small smile, taking the sweater Jimin let him borrow off. “It went fine. Sorry if I seem rude, but why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be at your parents’ house?”

“He needed to come back,” Seonghwa hears Mingi explain for Hongjoong. “He…wasn’t feeling well.”

Seonghwa nods. “Okay. Well, I’ma go to my room. I’m tired.”

“You better tell us the details later!” Wooyoung calls out.

“Later!” Seonghwa calls back, but they all know that ‘later’ means ‘never.’

“It’s nice that Seonghwa found someone to love,” Hongjoong says, as he sits down next to Jongho, taking a bite of his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. “I’m happy for him.”

“We are, too,” Jongho agrees.

Hongjoong lets out a small smile, even though he's trying to fight back the tears that are threatening to fall from his eyes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you’re rooting for jimin x seonghwa, your opinion is going to change soon.


	10. Shady

The next morning, Seonghwa is woken up by his alarm clock. Unfortunately, he has classes today, and they start at seven a.m. Today, he wakes up around five twenty-nine, and takes the sheets off of his body. He heads toward the bathroom to shower, and once he’s done, he simply changes into a white short-sleeved shirt tucked into blue jeans. He walks out of the bathroom, puts his textbooks, keys, and wallet into his bag, grabs his phone, before walking out of his room. He walks toward the kitchen, surprised to see the lights are on in the kitchen and living room. He’s even more surprised to see Hongjoong in the kitchen.

“H-Hongjoong?” Seonghwa calls out.

Hongjoong turns around, a bit surprised, but a small smile grows on his face, as he sees Seonghwa. “Morning.”

“W-what are you still doing here?” he asks.

“I stayed over,” Hongjoong explains. “It was Mark and Jackson hyung’s anniversary last night, so I decided to give them some privacy.”

Seonghwa nods, making a mental note to himself to congratulate Mark and Jackson for their anniversary later. He walks toward the kitchen, trying to keep a distance between him and Hongjoong. If the younger notices, he doesn’t say anything. “A-are you ready?”

Hongjoong looks at Seonghwa in confusion. “For what?” 

“C-class,” he reminds.

Hongjoong’s eyes widen. “Fuck. No, I didn’t. What time does it start again?”

“A-at seven,” Seonghwa giggles.

Hongjoong’s eyes quickly dart toward the clock, and he sighs in relief, once he sees it’s five fifty-seven. “Phew. I still have an hour.”

“A-are you going to go like that?” Seonghwa motions to Hongjoong’s outfit: a light blue hoodie that's a bit stained and purple sweatpants. It's an odd combination, but Hongjoong can pull it off.

“Yeah,” he sighs. “I’m too lazy to change. Coffee?”

Seonghwa nods. He grabs a mug, and hands it to Hongjoong, who serves coffee into his mug, handing it back to him. Seonghwa stutters a thank you, and Hongjoong nods, serving himself coffee as well. Seonghwa grabs a bowl from the cabinets and serves himself some cereal.

“D-do you want cereal?” he offers, looking at Hongjoong.

“No thanks,” he replies. Seonghwa nods again and sits down at the kitchen table. Hongjoong soon joins him, drinking his coffee, and the two are engulfed into a kind of comfortable silence. That is until Hongjoong speaks up: “So…how did your date with Jimin go?”

Seonghwa is a bit surprised Hongjoong’s asking him this, but he still answers: “I-it went fine. H-he took me to dinner, we went to the movies, and then we just went to the park to walk and talk.”

Hongjoong nods, taking a sip of his coffee. Seonghwa sees a flash of hurt appears in the younger’s eyes, but thinks it’s just his imagination. “D-did you guys kiss?”

Seonghwa’s cheeks turn red at the memory, and he shyly nods, looking down at his cereal. “W-we did.”

“That’s nice.” Hongjoong smiles and Seonghwa smiles back softly.

“B-by the way, Hongjoong…” he says, “…if I’m going to date Jimin-hyung, we can’t continue our fucking around thing. I-I don’t want to cheat on Jimin-hyung.”

“I understand,” Hongjoong assures. He stands up, walking toward the sink. He washes his mug. He doesn’t say anything else, as he heads toward the bathroom.

\--

“H-Hongjoong?” Seonghwa knocks on the door, pressing his ear against it to see if he can hear anything. “We need to leave. It’s six forty-five.”

“O-okay,” Hongjoong says, but his tone sounds quiet. Too quiet.

“A-are you okay?” Seonghwa asks, a bit worriedly.

“I’m fine, Seonghwa,” Hongjoong replies, but if Seonghwa didn’t know better, he’d say Hongjoong is telling the truth.

“O-okay…” Seonghwa heads back to the living room, deciding to leave Hongjoong alone. Seonghwa shoulders his bag, and waits for a few minutes, before the bathroom door is open, Hongjoong stepping out. His eyes seem a bit red, and Seonghwa wants to ask why, but again, it’s probably his imagination. “D-do you have your stuff? We can stop by your dorm if you want.”

Hongjoong just shakes his head, and Seonghwa doesn’t do or say anything. He walks toward the door, and they both walk outside. Seonghwa locks and closes the door behind them, and they start walking toward the English building together. They’re engulfed in a kind of awkward silence, but it isn’t long before Seonghwa feels his phone vibrate against his pocket. A bit confused, Seonghwa takes his phone out, his heart feeling warm once he sees that it’s Jimin who texts him:

 **jimin:** **  
**hey seonghwa

 **jimin:** **  
**wot’s your first period

 **seonghwa:** **  
**english

 **seonghwa:** **  
**why?

 **jimin:** **  
**when do u have lunch

 **seonghwa:** **  
**at 11:50

 **seonghwa:  
** why?

 **jimin:** **  
**i need help :(

 **jimin:** **  
**can u meet me at 12 then

 **seonghwa:** **  
**sure

 **seonghwa:** **  
**bye then jimin

 **jimin:** **  
**bye

“Who was that?” Hongjoong asks, as Seonghwa’s putting his phone away.

“J-Jimin-hyung,” he replies. “H-he just asked me if I could meet him at lunch.”

Hongjoong nods, not saying anything else. Seonghwa is a bit confused at the younger’s silence because usually, Hongjoong would start talking nonstop, and Seonghwa would just listen, enjoying Hongjoong’s voice. But now, Hongjoong doesn’t say a word, which concerns Seonghwa, but he doesn’t say anything.

\--

When the clock strikes eleven-fifty a.m., Seonghwa’s fourth-period class, dance, ends, and he walks out of his class. He and Jimin texted earlier, and plan to meet up at the courtyard. Seonghwa decides to get some food first and walks toward the nearest restaurant. He grabs his food, and walks back to the courtyard, a bit confused when he doesn’t see Jimin anywhere. It's noon already.

A bit worried, Seonghwa takes out his phone, texting Jimin to see where he is. Jimin texts back, saying he's running a bit late, and apologizes. Seonghwa assures it's okay, and tells him to hurry up. Seonghwa sits down on a bench and opens his lunch to begin eating. Around five minutes later, he hears rushed footsteps, and he looks up to see Jimin running toward him.

“Hey,” he greets once Jimin stops in front of him.

“Hey,” Jimin returns, slightly panting. “Sorry for being late.”

“It’s fine,” Seonghwa assures. “What do you need help with?”

“Ah, right,” Jimin mutters under his breath. He gets out a piece of paper from his pocket, and hands it to Seonghwa. A bit confused, the younger looks at the paper and recognizes it as Jimin’s schedule.

“What time does your first class start?” Seonghwa asks. 

“At ten,” Jimin replies. “But they told me I didn’t have to attend today.”

Seonghwa nods. “Let me guess—you need help with knowing where your classes are?”

Jimin nods this time, a bit sheepishly. “Can you help me? Pleaseee, Seonghwa?”

“I will,” he giggles. Seonghwa looks over Jimin’s schedule. He has Japanese first, then singing, songwriting, dancing, and lastly, math. “Ugh, lucky, you only have five classes.”

“You don’t?” he chuckles.

“No,” Seonghwa pouts. “Well, we have dance and math together. That’s it. Though your Japanese class is on the floor above my English class, so I can show you there. I can’t help you with your songwriting class, though. But Hongjoong can.”

“Hongjoong?” Jimin sounds a bit confused, as he grabs his schedule back from Seonghwa.

“Yeah.” The younger nods. “Hongjoong’s major is songwriting and producing, and luckily for you, he has it the same period as you.”

Jimin sighs in relief. “Thank god. Can I have his number?”

Seonghwa nods, and Jimin takes out his phone. Seonghwa gives him Hongjoong’s number, and Jimin dials it in his phone, saving Hongjoong’s number. Jimin thanks Seonghwa, putting his phone away.

“Is that all you needed help with?” Seonghwa asks.

“Yeah,” Jimin replies. “But…I also wanted to ask if you wanted to go on another date with me.”

“W-when?” Seonghwa says.

“This Friday,” Jimin says.

Seonghwa curses under his breath. “Sorry, but I can’t. I need to study for my Literature test, and it’s on that day. It determines seventy percent of my grade, so I can’t fail it.”

“That’s a bummer,” Jimin frowns. “How about this Saturday, then?”

Seonghwa thinks about it. He's free, but usually, he spends Saturdays being lazy, or chilling around in his dorm. He doesn’t like going out on Saturdays, but maybe he can make an exception for Jimin. “Yeah. Depends on where you’re taking me.”

“I’ll see,” he says cheekily, standing up. “Well, I need to leave. I’m meeting up with a friend. Bye, Seonghwa.”

“Bye,” he returns, and Jimin smiles at him before he leaves. Seonghwa continues to eat, but something strikes him as odd. Jimin said he is going to meet up with a friend, but he barely arrived in Seoul three days ago. Jimin doesn’t make friends that easily. He's a bit socially awkward, but that doesn’t mean he can’t make friends in three days. Even if he does meet someone, they won’t want to hang out this quickly. And if it is a friend from Jimin’s hometown, Busan is two hours and forty minutes away from Seoul. It is also Monday, and mostly everyone has school on Mondays. 

_I wonder whom he_ really _is meeting up with_ , Seonghwa thinks to himself. _Hopefully, he wasn’t lying to me…_

\--

“I’m done, Professor Kim,” Hongjoong says, as he walks into the classroom, surprising the male. “I am done.”

“Done with what, Hongjoong?” he questions.

“With you,” Hongjoong replies. 

Professor Kim seems a bit surprised. “Are you dropping out of this class, Hongjoong?” 

“No,” he frowns, “even though I want to, but I’m not. Why don’t you like my songs, Professor? Everyone else likes them. Why don’t you? Do you _want_ to give me a bad grade?”

Professor Kim sighs, and stands up, cleaning his glasses. “It’s not that, Hongjoong.”

“Then?”

“Your music…” The professor sighs. “Your music just isn’t my style. I don’t feel any spark from it. The other students’ music _do_ give me a spark, so I give them a good grade.”

“Then what’s wrong with my songs?” Hongjoong asks. “You’re always giving me a bad grade, but yet you don’t help me with what’s wrong with it. Doesn’t a good professor help their students?”

“Yes,” Professor Kim answers. “Do you really want me to help you?”

Hongjoong nods. “Please.”

Professor Kim sighs. “Fine. Come over to my desk.” Hongjoong sighs in relief, and walks toward Professor Kim’s desk. Earlier, he had checked his grades, and his heart almost dropped when he saw that he had an F+ for his major class. If he wants to convince his parents to let him continue majoring in songwriting and producing, he needs to show them that he is good at it. An F+ won’t do him any good. “What’s the name of your song?” 

“Answer.”

Professor Kim nods, and logs into his computer. Hongjoong had sent him a file where his song is, so Professor Kim clicks on it. He presses play to the song and listens to it until it ends.

“Who sang in your song, Hongjoong?” he asks.

“My friends,” Hongjoong responds. “I love their voices, so I decided that they could sing and rap in my song. Why? Is that bad?”

“No, no,” Professor Kim assures. “Your friends’ voices sound amazing. It’s just the beat. How about this: we set up a day where I help you rearrange your song, you get your friends, and we work together to fix the song?”

“Okay,” Hongjoong agrees, sighing in relief. “Thanks, Professor.”

“You’re welcome,” he replies. “What day are you and your friends free?”

“I think…Saturday,” Hongjoong says. 

“Okay,” Professor Kim says. “We’ll meet up at eleven a.m. That sound good?”

Hongjoong nods. “Yeah. Thank you, Professor.”

“Don’t mention it,” he assures. “Now go to lunch, Hongjoong. You’re going to need your energy.”

Hongjoong nods again. “See you later, Professor Kim.”

“Bye, Hongjoong.”

The brown-haired male walks out of the classroom, and takes out his phone. He starts calling Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho to see if they're free on Saturday at eleven a.m. They all say yes, so Hongjoong calls Seonghwa. The older doesn’t reply, so Hongjoong calls him again. Seonghwa still doesn’t reply, which Hongjoong finds weird. He goes to his messages and types a quick message to Seonghwa, but the older still doesn’t see it.

_What is he doing?_

-

“I’m sorry,” Seonghwa apologizes, as he mutes his phone. He's talking to his Literature professor about the test on Friday, but his phone can’t stop ringing. Seonghwa quickly checks to see who it is, and is surprised when he sees that it’s Hongjoong. _I’ll just call him back later._

“Is everything okay?” Seonghwa’s professor asks.

“Everything’s fine,” Seonghwa assures. “Is it fine if I arrive a bit late, Professor Kim? I need to do something at my dance class, but I don’t know how long that’s going to take.”

“I thought you didn’t have any classes on Fridays,” she says.

“I don’t,” Seonghwa agrees. “But then again I don’t have Literature on Fridays, but I’m still taking a Literature test on Friday.”

“Right.” Professor Kim clears her throat. “Well, it’s fine, Seonghwa. The test is going to last three hours, so just make sure to hurry, okay?”

Seonghwa nods. “Thanks, Professor. Have a nice day.”

“You, too,” she returns, smiling at him, before walking away.

Seonghwa sighs, and takes out his phone. He goes to the phone app and Hongjoong’s contact. He presses the green call button, and the line starts to ring. A few seconds later, the line is picked up, Hongjoong’s voice appearing: “Hi, Seonghwa.”

“H-hi.” Even after going on a date with Jimin, Seonghwa still finds himself stuttering whenever he’s talking about and with Hongjoong. Isn’t his crush already starting to fade? “S-sorry I couldn’t answer. I-I was talking to my Literature professor.”

“Oh, sorry,” he apologizes. 

“I-it’s fine,” Seonghwa assures. “W-why did you call me?”

“Ah, right,” Hongjoong mutters. “I talked to my songwriting and producing professor a few minutes ago, and he said he could help me fix my song. He said we could meet up on Saturday at eleven a.m., and I have to bring the people that sang in my song. Can you come, too, Seonghwa?”

“S-Saturday?” he repeats. _“Th-this_ Saturday?”

“Yeah,” Hongjoong confirms. “Why? Are you busy on that day?”

“I-I don’t know,” Seonghwa admits. “J-Jimin-hyung just asked me out on another date, and he said it was going to be on Saturday.”

“Oh.” Hongjoong sounds disappointed, but Seonghwa thinks it’s probably his imagination. Again. “It’s fine. Maybe Yunho, Yeosang, San, Wooyoung, or Jongho can sing your part.”

“U-um…I’ll see if Jimin-hyung is going to take me out later than eleven a.m.,” Seonghwa assures. “W-where’s it going to be?”

“At my studio, I think,” Hongjoong mumbles. “If you can’t make it, just call me. I’ll make sure to let someone else do your part. Though I’d prefer if it was your voice. I love your voice, Hwa.”

The older feels his face heat up, and he’s sure by now that his whole face is red. “Th-thanks, Hongjoong.”

“You’re welcome,” he replies. “See you later, then, Seonghwa.”

“B-bye.” Their call ends, and Seonghwa takes in a deep shaky breath. He just wishes his feelings for Hongjoong can go away soon, so he can focus entirely on Jimin.

\--

“Why don’t you just record Seonghwa-hyung’s voice now, hyung?” Yunho suggests as he and Hongjoong are walking out of their class.

“It’ll be too much of a hassle,” he sighs. 

“How?” Yunho asks. “You just need his voice. You can do whatever you want with it on Saturday in your song.”

“You’re right,” Hongjoong mutters. He smiles brightly at Yunho. “Thanks, Yunho.”

“Glad to help.”

\--

When all of Hongjoong’s classes finish, he quickly makes sure to call Seonghwa to see if he's busy right now. The line rings for a few seconds before it’s picked up.

“H-Hongjoong?” Seonghwa sounds confused, but he sounds more surprised. “W-why are you calling?”

“Hi,” Hongjoong greets. “Um, sorry for calling you so many times today, but I was wondering if you’re free right now? If you’re not, that’s fine, but I realized I can just record your voice, and edit it on Saturday with my professor.”

“O-oh,” Seonghwa says. “Y-yeah, I’m free right now. W-where are you?”

“Um, I’m by the math building,” Hongjoong explains, looking around his surroundings.

“I-I’ll be right there, then,” Seonghwa assures, before hanging up. Hongjoong doesn’t know why, but he feels…nervous and kind of excited to be alone with Seonghwa in his studio. He knows they won’t do anything besides record Seonghwa’s voice, yet, Hongjoong still feels excited to be with Seonghwa. Even if they're just going to spend, like, five minutes together. Three minutes later, Hongjoong hears footsteps, and he looks up from his phone, seeing Seonghwa heading toward him. Hongjoong smiles, and puts his phone away. “H-hey,” he addresses. “S-sorry if I took too long.”

“You didn’t,” Hongjoong says. “Ready to go?”

Seonghwa nods, and they both start walking toward the music building. They’re engulfed in a comfortable silence―unlike earlier in the morning―and soon arrive at the music building. But once they’re inside, they’re surprised to see Jimin there, too.

“Hyung?” Seonghwa sounds confused, but there’s a smile on his face. “What are you doing here?”

Jimin looks up from the paper he’s reading, smiling at Seonghwa. “Hey. I just wanted to talk with one of the professors here.” He heads toward them and then seems to notice Hongjoong there, too. “Oh, hey, Hongjoong.”

“Hey,” he mutters. If Hongjoong's being honest, he’d rather have Jimin be anywhere else than right here in the music building with him and Seonghwa. 

“What are _you_ guys doing here?” Jimin asks.

“Oh, we were about to go to Hongjoong’s studio,” Seonghwa explains. “Hongjoong needs to record my voice for his producing class.”

Jimin nods. “Can I come with?” Seonghwa nods this time, but he looks at Hongjoong expectantly. Even though he doesn’t want to, Hongjoong nods, starting to walk toward the elevator. He walks in front of Jimin and Seonghwa and hears them being engulfed in a conversation. Sighing, he walks inside the elevator, the other two following behind him. Hongjoong presses the second-floor button, and the elevator starts descending. Jimin and Seonghwa talk amongst each other, a smile on both of their faces. Hongjoong shakes his head, wishing the elevator would go faster. It soon stops, and they walk out the doors, Hongjoong leading them toward his studio. He unlocks the door, and they walk inside. “Wow, you have a nice studio, Hongjoong,” he compliments, looking around in surprise.

“Thanks,” Hongjoong mutters. “Just don’t touch anything.”

Jimin nods. Hongjoong sits down on the chair behind his equipment, and motions for Seonghwa to go inside the small room with the microphone. Seonghwa closes the door behind him, and Hongjoong turns everything that they need on. 

“You know, I haven’t heard Seonghwa sing in a while,” Jimin says, as he stands next to Hongjoong.

“He has a lovely voice,” he says softly. “I’d listen to it all day if I could.”

“You say it as if you have a crush on him,” Jimin chuckles.

Hongjoong glances at Jimin, before looking back down. He turns on the microphone, so Seonghwa can hear him. “Are you ready, Seonghwa?”

The male nods, putting on the headphones. Hongjoong presses a few things, making sure Seonghwa can hear the music through the headphones. Seonghwa soon starts singing when it’s his part, and Hongjoong can practically hear how surprised Jimin is. 

“Wow,” he whispers. “He has an _amazing_ voice.”

Hongjoong nods in agreement, and looks at Seonghwa, as he continues to sing. Hongjoong doesn’t know why he never noticed this before, but now he sees the passion and love in Seonghwa’s eyes when he sings. Hongjoong knows Seonghwa’s studying to become an author or something like that, but he would make an amazing singer. As Seonghwa continues to sing, something sparks inside of Hongjoong that he’s never felt before. He looks at Seonghwa with a small soft smile on his face and feels his heart beating against his chest faster than usual. Hongjoong knows what he’s feeling:

Love.

He’s in love with Seonghwa.

Too bad Seonghwa’s in love with Jimin now.

“H-how’d I do?” Seonghwa asks once the song’s done.

“You did amazing, Seonghwa,” Hongjoong assures. “Like always. Thank you.” A bright smile appears on Seonghwa’s face, and Hongjoong loves that he's the cause of it. Seonghwa takes off the headphones, and gets out of the small room. Hongjoong works on saving Seonghwa’s voice but doesn’t miss the way Jimin repeatedly compliments Seonghwa on his voice. Hongjoong works quicker, so he doesn’t have to hear them flirt. “Alright, we’re done,” he announces, getting up. “Good job, Seonghwa.”

The male smiles at Hongjoong. “Th-thanks.” 

The younger nods, and the three of them walk out of the studio, walking back toward the elevator.

“You know, I might work on getting my own studio,” Jimin says. “It’d be like a competition between Hongjoong and I to see who produces better music.”

“We’ll see,” he mutters under his breath, so neither Seonghwa nor Jimin hear what he said.


	11. News

“Why did you call us here, hyung?” Yunho asks as he, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho walk inside Hongjoong’s and Mark’s dorm. 

“I…I need to tell you guys something,” Hongjoong explains, as he closes the door behind Jongho.

“What is it?” Yeosang says.

Hongjoong takes a deep breath, looking at each of them. He knows they won’t judge him for his feelings, but he still doesn’t know why he’s so nervous. “I…I think…I think I’m in love with Seonghwa.”

The others just stare at him with no emotion, but it isn’t long before they erupt into chaos. Jongho even starts to flip the coffee table over, but San stops him. They squeal and jump amongst each other, making Hongjoong join in. At first, he doesn’t want to, but now that he’s doing it, it’s helping calm his nerves.

“Fucking finally!” San squeals, clapping his hands. 

Earlier, when Hongjoong, Jimin, and Seonghwa separated ways―well, it was more like Hongjoong leaves Jimin and Seonghwa since they wouldn’t stop flirting―Hongjoong remembers what he had realized back in the studio: he is in _love_ with Seonghwa. He doesn’t know why he’s barely realizing this, but he’s in love with Seonghwa. Hongjoong knows he shouldn’t be in love with Seonghwa, a _guy_ , but he can’t help it. Hongjoong knows he shouldn’t be gay, shouldn’t be thinking about having a future with Seonghwa. He should be thinking about getting a girlfriend, marrying her, and having children with her, but Hongjoong doesn’t care about that anymore. All he cares about now is Seonghwa, and he wants to get together with _him_. Not a girl. 

Hongjoong knows he wants to tell someone, but it’s not like he can tell Jimin nor Seonghwa. Those two would be the last people he ever told. Not that he would ever tell them, anyway, especially since they’re ‘dating.’ So, Hongjoong goes to his next option which is telling Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho. They’d understand.

“W-when did you realize?” Mingi questions.

“E-earlier,” Hongjoong replies. “W-we were back in the studio, and, as Seonghwa was singing, I think I saw him in…a whole different way.”

Wooyoung gasps, and looks at Hongjoong with teary eyes. He softly touches the older’s hand. “Does that mean…you’re ready to embrace your gayness now?”

Hongjoong laughs, and nods. “Yeah. I think I was always ready to embrace it, but I didn’t, because of my father. But he can go to hell, because he never cared about me, and he can’t control my life.”

“That’s the spirit!” Jongho squeals and engulfs Hongjoong into a hug. “We’re so happy for you, hyung.”

“Thanks,” the oldest says, but his voice sounds strained. “N-now if you could please let go of me, Jongho… You’re kind of choking me.”

“Oops, sorry.” The youngest pulls away from Hongjoong, smiling apologetically.

Hongjoong sighs in relief, but his relief doesn’t last long, because the others soon embrace him into another hug, making them all fall to the ground. Hongjoong is being crushed by their bodies, but he doesn’t complain this time, even though he’s running out of air.

“Let’s get off of him now,” Yunho chuckles, pulling away. “I think he’s going to die if we don’t.”

“Sorry, hyung,” they all apologize sheepishly in unison, helping Hongjoong up.

“I-it’s fine,” he assures.

“So, what are you going to do now?” Yeosang asks.

“What do you mean?” Hongjoong says.

San rolls his eyes. “What are you going to do about your feelings of Seonghwa-hyung? Ask him out, hyung.”

“I can’t,” Hongjoong reminds. “He’s ‘dating’ Jimin, remember?”

“Ah, they’re not a couple yet,” Mingi scoffs. “You still have a chance, hyung.”

“I don’t think so,” Hongjoong sighs. “Every time they’re with each other, all they do is flirt. Earlier, that’s what they were doing. I wanted to be alone with Seonghwa, but of course, we had to bump into Jimin over there.”

“What would you have done if you guys were alone?” Wooyoung questions, waggling his eyebrows.

Hongjoong glares at him, throwing a pillow from the couch at him. Wooyoung laughs, catching it. “Nothing. Seonghwa said it himself: he doesn’t want to continue our fucking around thing anymore, so we’re not.”

“Aww, you’re so sweet, hyung,” Jongho coos. 

Hongjoong rolls his eyes. “You know, I didn’t tell you guys to come over, so you can make fun of me.”

“We still love you, hyung,” they say in unison.

“I’m sure you do,” Hongjoong mutters. “By the way, where’s Seonghwa?”

“He’s studying for his Literature test on Friday,” Yunho explains. “I keep telling him to take a break, but he always denies, because apparently, the test is going to determine seventy percent of his grade.”

“If he fails, he’s going to have at least an F+ for the whole semester,” Hongjoong says. 

“You can be so dumb at times, Yunho,” Yeosang sighs. Yunho glares at him.

\--

“I’m back!” Yunho calls out, as he walks inside his and Seonghwa’s dorm, closing the door behind him.

“Hey!” he hears Seonghwa call back from his room.

Yunho shakes his head, toeing off his shoes, and leaving them by the door. He walks toward Seonghwa’s room, not surprised that the door is opened. Once he arrives, he sees Seonghwa sitting at his desk, his textbook and notebook in front of him, as well as pens, highlighters, pencils, and erasers. The light in his room is off, only a lamp is turned on on the desk. Seonghwa is in his pajamas already, his hair being pushed back by a pink fluffy headband. Unsurprisingly, there's a face mask on his face.

“You look concentrated,” Yunho says, as he walks inside Seonghwa’s room. “Nice face mask, by the way.”

“I already lost enough time,” he mutters, as he scribbles something down in his notebook. “I have to cram so much stuff in my brain. I already have a headache.”

“Then take a break, hyung,” Yunho says. “It wouldn’t hurt to do so.”

“I can’t,” Seonghwa groans. “I need to study for this test, or else it’s going to look bad on my record if I fail.”

“You’re so stubborn, hyung,” Yunho mumbles, rolling his eyes.

“And you’re not?”

“Good point. Do you want some coffee at least?”

“Please. Thanks, Yunho.”

The male nods, walking out of Seonghwa’s room. Yunho walks to the kitchen, starting to make Seonghwa’s coffee. Once it's done, Yunho pours the coffee into Seonghwa’s favorite mug and walks back toward the older’s room. He places the mug down on the desk, and Seonghwa thanks him. Yunho nods, laying down on Seonghwa’s bed to keep him company, neither of them feeling like being alone. 

It feels like six hours, but it’s actually one hour later that Seonghwa stops. He lets out a sigh, leaning back against his swivel chair. Yunho looks at him from his phone, surprised that Seonghwa’s notebook is filled with his handwriting and highlighting.

“Done?” Yunho asks, raising an eyebrow.

“For now,” Seonghwa murmurs. He finally takes the face mask off his face, even though he probably should’ve taken it off forty minutes ago. “God, I’m tired.”

“It’s barely six twenty-two,” Yunho chuckles. 

“I know,” Seonghwa sighs. “Sometimes I wish we didn’t even have to go to school.”

_“Sometimes?”_

Seonghwa rolls his eyes. “You know what I mean. Where were you earlier?”

“We were at Hongjoong-hyung’s dorm,” Yunho explains.

_“We?”_

Yunho nods, taking off his earphones. “Yeah. Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, Jongho, and I went to hyung’s dorm, ‘cause apparently, he had something to tell us.” A small squeal falls out of his lips, as he remembers what Hongjoong told them.

“What did he tell you guys?” Seonghwa asks.

“Um…” Yunho quickly rakes his brain for a lie. I mean, it’s not like he _wants_ to lie to Seonghwa. He actually wants the older to know about Hongjoong’s feelings for him. Seonghwa has had feelings for Hongjoong for a long time, and he deserves to know. But now that Jimin’s in the picture…Yunho doesn’t know if Seonghwa still feels the same way. “He just told us…his cat died.”

“He doesn’t have a cat.” 

“Then his…dog died.”

“He doesn’t have a dog, either.”

“Then his fish.”

“Yunho,” Seonghwa says, giving him a look.

Yunho lets out a sigh. He never really was good at lying. “He just told us that…he has a crush on someone.”

“Oh.” It's probably Yunho’s imagination, but Seonghwa looks a bit disappointed and sad. “That’s nice. Who does he have a crush on?”

“He didn’t tell us…her name,” Yunho lies.

Seonghwa nods. “That’s good. I’m happy for him. At least he isn’t fucking around like he used to.”

“You make it sound as if he’s a slut,” Yunho chuckles.

“He kinda is,” Seonghwa mumbles, but Yunho hears him.

“Hyung, be nice.”

“Sorry.”

\--

The next morning, Seonghwa wakes up like usual around five a.m. He wakes up, changes out of his pajamas into a black knitted sweater french tucked into dark blue jeans, a black belt tied around his waist, eats breakfast, brushes his teeth, grabs his stuff, and walks out of his dorm. He shoulders his bag, starting to walk toward his English building, seeming to have forgotten all about Jimin. Though Seonghwa does remember about Hongjoong and isn’t surprised when he sees the brown-haired male walking toward the English building, too.

“H-hey, Joong,” Seonghwa greets. _God, it feels like forever since I last called him that._

Hongjoong looks up, seeming a bit surprised to see Seonghwa. “Oh, hey, Seonghwa.” He falls into step with the older, and together, they walk toward their first class. Hongjoong seems to notice that Seonghwa forgot about showing Jimin to the English building, but Hongjoong doesn’t say anything, not wanting Jimin to interrupt their alone time.

“Y-Yunho told me you have a crush on someone,” Seonghwa speaks up, trying to make some light conversation. 

“H-he did?” Hongjoong bites his bottom lip, hoping Seonghwa doesn’t know about his crush on him.

Seonghwa nods. “Y-yeah. I-I asked him what her name was to see if I knew her, but he said you didn’t tell them her name.”

Hongjoong almost sighs in relief out loud. Yunho told Seonghwa his crush was a _girl_ , not Seonghwa. “Y-yeah. I…I didn’t want to give her name out just like that, you know? Besides, I barely know her.”

“D-does she go to this school?” Seonghwa asks.

“Yeah.” 

“Th-that’s nice,” Seonghwa says. “W-we’re both moving on.”

Hongjoong nods, feeling a pang of pain hit his gut. “So…you and Jimin. You planning on asking him to be your boyfriend anytime soon?”

“N-no,” Seonghwa replies, his face heating up. “I-I don’t know how he really feels just yet.”

“You should ask him, before he gets taken by someone else,” Hongjoong says.

“W-what if he asks me first?” Seonghwa says pointedly.

“Then you don’t have to,” Hongjoong replies. “It’ll be a weight taken off your shoulders.”

“D-do _you_ think we should get together?” Seonghwa questions. If he's being honest, he doesn’t know why he's asking Hongjoong this. He probably just wants Hongjoong’s opinion on this. Yeah, that's it.

“No, I don’t think you two should, Seonghwa,” the younger says.

Seonghwa’s eyes slightly widen, and looks at Hongjoong in surprise. But he feels odd for feeling relieved. “W-why do you think that?”

“Think what?”

“Y-you said you think it’s a bad idea that Jimin and I should get together,” Seonghwa explains.

 _Fuck, I said that out loud?_ “Um…I thought you said something else.”

“I-I asked if you think it’s a good idea that Jimin-hyung and I get together,” Seonghwa repeats.

“Up to you.” Hongjoong shrugs before he quickly walks inside their classroom.

\--

Seven hours later, Seonghwa is walking toward his dance class with Yeosang, San, and Mingi. Hongjoong, Yunho, Wooyoung, and Jongho are already there―Seonghwa, San, and Mingi just needed to wait for Yeosang to quickly go to the bathroom before they headed toward their class.

“You know, Hongjoong was acting weird earlier,” Seonghwa says.

“Why do you say that?” Yeosang asks.

“I don’t know,” Seonghwa sighs. “He just seemed…a bit nervous? I asked him if he thought it was a great idea if Jimin-hyung and I got together, and at first, he said no, that he _doesn’t_ think it’s a great idea, but then he said he thought I said something else. When I repeated what I said, he just replied with ‘up to you’, and quickly walked inside our English class to avoid any more questions.” Yeosang, San, and Mingi share a look, but it doesn’t go unnoticed by Seonghwa. “What? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” San quickly assures. “Hongjoong-hyung’s just… He’s not feeling well lately.”

“Why?” Seonghwa questions worriedly. “Is he coming down with a fever? Does he need to go to the doctor? Maybe I should call his mom-”

“Hyung, Hongjoong-hyung’s fine,” Mingi quickly reassures, before Seonghwa can continue ranting. “He’s just a bit stressed out about…Saturday.”

“Oh,” Seonghwa mutters. “Why would he be stressed about that, though? His professor’s helping him.”

Yeosang shrugs, relieved they are near the dance building. “You know how he is.” Copying Hongjoong, Yeosang, San, and Mingi quickly walk inside the classroom to avoid any more questions from Seonghwa. The oldest shakes his head, walking into the room after them. They’re already dressed in their dance clothes, so all they need to do is stretch to warm up for their dance lesson. As Seonghwa places his bag down next to San’s, he notices Hongjoong, Yunho, Wooyoung, and Jongho talking amongst each other. But that’s when Seonghwa notices Jimin, too. Seonghwa curses under his breath once he realizes he forgot to wait for Jimin earlier.

“H-hey, Jimin,” Seonghwa greets slowly, approaching the older.

Jimin looks at Seonghwa, frowning at him. “Hey.”

“Look, I’m really sorry I forgot about waiting for you,” Seonghwa apologizes. “I don’t know why I did, but I’m really sorry.”

“It’s fine, Seonghwa,” Jimin sighs. “I mean, I was late for my first class on my first day, but that happens to everyone.” Even though he said it's fine, Seonghwa can hear the sarcasm lacing in Jimin’s tone.

“Let me make it up to you,” Seonghwa says. 

Jimin looks intrigued, and he looks at Seonghwa with a raised brow, a small smirk growing on his face. “What do you have in mind?”

Seonghwa turns red, and waves his hands rapidly. “I-it’s nothing sexual, hyung.”

“Aww,” Jimin pouts. Seonghwa glares at him, and Jimin laughs. “I’m just messing with you. What are you going to do to make it up to me?”

“It’ll be my treat on Saturday,” Seonghwa proposes. “Deal?”

“Deal,” Jimin agrees after thinking about it for a bit. “You’re picking me up, too, by the way.”

Seonghwa nods, but doesn’t bother telling Jimin that he doesn’t have a car.

The dance professor arrives when the bell rings, placing her bag in the small desk in the corner. She greets the class but doesn’t waste any more time to start teaching. Taemin’s “Move” soon starts playing, and the professor starts teaching the choreo. A few students already know the choreography, so they don’t have that much trouble following along. They learn seven more songs before the professor announces they can have a break.

“That was a lot of work,” Hongjoong mutters, as he grabs his water bottle.

“I’m exhausted,” Seonghwa adds.

“Hey, it seems like Jimin-hyung’s made some new friends,” Yunho notices, as he motions with his chin toward Jimin talking with six other people: Kim Namjoon, Kim Seokjin, Min Yoongi, Jung Hoseok, Kim Taehyung, and Jeon Jeongguk.

“Good for him,” Seonghwa says. “Isn’t Jeongguk-hyung also from Busan, though?”

“Yeah,” Yeosang mutters. “Maybe they’re old friends.”

San gasps. “Do you think they’re dating?”

Mingi rolls his eyes. “No, San. Jeongguk-hyung’s taken already, remember? Besides, it looks like they’re just really good friends.”

“Alright, class, I need your attention!” the professor calls out, making every conversation stop. “As most of you might know, there is going to be a competition for all the dance classes in the universities in Seoul. I know there are over thirty here in Seoul, but only the students who sign up are allowed to go. The competition will be on the first of next month, which is in three weeks. There will be a prize for the winning team, which is a paid trip to New York.”

“You guys wanna sign up?” Wooyoung asks, looking at the others.

“Why not?” Jongho replies. “We’re all great dancers.”

“Then let’s do it,” Hongjoong decides.

“If you want to participate in the competition, there are four sign up sheets, so feel free to sign in,” the professor continues, holding up a sheet of paper. Almost half of the class head toward the signup sheets and sign themselves in. Unsurprisingly, Jimin and his new friends also sign up. “Your parents will be notified, so don’t worry about telling them,” she assures. Six minutes later, everyone’s done signing up, so the professor grabs the sheets. “Is that everyone?”

The class nods, so the professor puts the sheets inside her bag. She heads toward her phone, and EXO’s “Love Shot” starts playing.

\--

“It’d be nice if all eight of us went to New York,” Seonghwa says, as the eight of them lay around in his and Yunho’s dorm.

“It would,” he agrees. “We could do so many things over there.”

“That sounds wrong,” Yeosang snickers, making Yunho smack his arm.

“We shouldn’t get excited right now, though,” San reminds. “We don’t even know if we’ll win or not.”

“True,” Mingi concurs, “but we can still talk about it.”

“Even if we don’t win, we’ll go to New York one day, right?” Wooyoung asks. “Just the eight of us without our lousy classmates.”

“That’d be nice,” Jongho says.

“I’ve always wanted to see the Statue of Liberty,” Hongjoong mutters.

“M-me, too,” Seonghwa grants. He then sighs, getting up. “Are any of you hungry?”

“I am!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a lot of things are going to happen when they go to new york 👀


	12. Finding Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: mentions of abuse and abuse
> 
> there’ll be ** when it starts and ends

The next two weeks pass by like a blur. With the help of his professor, Hongjoong is able to ‘fix’ his songs, and make them better. When they get the end result, Hongjoong’s professor says the song sounds good and raises Hongjoong’s grade to an A+. Seonghwa thankfully passes his Literature test with an A-, which makes his grade for the whole semester an A. Hongjoong’s father is still in the hospital—he isn’t getting any better, but at least he's still alive. He still doesn’t know that Hongjoong likes guys, and Hongjoong never plans on telling him. He's planning on telling his mom, but not right now. Hongjoong still deals with his feelings about Seonghwa and tries to hide his jealousy and sadness when he sees him and Jimin together. Speaking of which, Jimin and Seonghwa go to their date on Saturday, and Seonghwa picks up Jimin with Yunho’s car.

(yunho had let him borrow it.)

The date goes well, Seonghwa pays for everything as promised, but Jimin finally asks Seonghwa if he’d like to be his boyfriend. Seonghwa says yes, they kiss and leave. When the others find out Jimin and Seonghwa are officially a couple, they're happy for them, but at the same time, they feel bad for Hongjoong. The male claims he's fine and happy for Seonghwa, yet the others don’t believe him.

Now, it is a week before the competition, and everyone who signed up for the competition is practicing really hard. They practice during class, before school, after school, and sometimes even at night to make sure their routine is perfect. Hongjoong and the others are some of the students that practice 24/7, but they aren’t surprised to see Jimin and his new friends there, too. Hongjoong doesn’t really like being in the same room as Jimin, but he doesn’t say anything for his sake and the others’.

“Damn, I’m exhausted,” he says, as he walks inside his and Mark’s dorm, the others trailing behind him.

“Me, too,” Yunho agrees, and once he’s in the living room, he immediately collapses down on one of the couches.

“Yunho, I don’t want your sweat on my couch,” Hongjoong groans.

“Too bad,” Yunho replies.

Hongjoong rolls his eyes. “Is everyone here?”

“Seonghwa isn’t,” Yeosang says.

“He’s _still_ saying goodbye to Jimin?”

San shrugs. “You know how they are.”

Hongjoong sighs, and looks out the front door. He sees Seonghwa with his arms around Jimin’s neck, the older with his arms around Seonghwa’s waist. They're talking, but no one can hear what they're saying. But, as Hongjoong looks closer, he notices that the smile on Seonghwa’s face seems…fake. As if he isn’t happy with Jimin, and he's being forced to smile. Hongjoong shakes his head, thinking he's probably exhausted from dancing nonstop for two hours straight.

“I’m going to shower!” he announces, heading toward his room.

“Does Mark-hyung have a shower in his room?” Mingi asks.

“Yeah,” Hongjoong replies. “You can use it. I don’t think he’d mind.”

“Thank god,” Mingi mutters, grabbing his spare clothes from his bag.

“Come on, lovebirds!” Wooyoung calls out to Jimin and Seonghwa. “You can’t stay out here forever!”

Immediately, Seonghwa unwraps his arms from Jimin’s neck, quickly pecks his cheek, before practically sprinting inside Hongjoong’s and Mark’s dorm. Wooyoung gives Seonghwa a weird look, but he either ignores or doesn’t notice it. Wooyoung shrugs, waves at Jimin, before closing the door.

“You two are really clingy, you know that, right?” Jongho tells Seonghwa, a bit teasingly.

“Shut up, Jongho,” he mutters, but there’s a small smile on his face. Though this smile seems fake, too.

“Hyung, you okay?” Yunho questions. 

“I’m fine,” Seonghwa answers. “Why?”

“Just forget it,” Yunho mumbles. He sighs, collapsing back against the couch again. “Hopefully, Hongjoong-hyung and Mingi get out of the shower quick because I’m _sweaty_.”

“Why don’t you join Mingi, then?” Yeosang suggests teasingly, nudging Yunho’s leg. “You two have been dating for almost a month now.”

“Doesn’t mean we want to see each other naked yet,” he says. “Hell, all we’ve done is kiss, Yeosang. The closest we’ve gotten to sex is when I pinned Mingi down on the couch, but Seonghwa-hyung interrupted us before anything else could happen.”

“Sorry,” he apologizes.

San gives Seonghwa a weird look. “Are you sure you’re okay, hyung?”

“Why do you ask that?” the oldest says.

“Well, usually you’d say ‘I’m not going to let you fuck one of my best friends on my couch’, but right now you just said sorry,” San explains. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, guys,” Seonghwa repeats. “I just…have a lot of thoughts in my head. I’m gonna go to Hongjoong’s room to calm down.”

“He does know Hongjoong-hyung’s _showering_ in the bathroom of his room, right?” Wooyoung whispers to the others, as Seonghwa walks away.

“Yeah, but he probably forgot,” Jongho whispers back. “Something’s wrong with him, and he’s not telling us the truth.”

Seonghwa walks inside Hongjoong’s room, somehow not hearing the water running in the bathroom. He closes the door behind him, and slides down against it, landing on the floor. His eyes blur with tears, but he doesn’t let any fall. If he's being honest, he wishes he never met Jimin. At first, the older seemed nice, but of course, he did—he was a third-grader. But Seonghwa regrets saying ‘yes’ when Jimin asked him if he wanted to be his boyfriend. He regrets it, because…Jimin is very controlling, demanding, jealous, and possessive. He can also be…abusive at times. Of course, Seonghwa never expected Jimin to be any of these things, but people always change. 

_“S-sorry I’m l-late,” Seonghwa apologized, as Jimin opened the door._

_“Why were you late, Seonghwa?” he demanded calmly, gripping Seonghwa’s arm in a death grip, and pushing him inside, slamming the door behind him._

_Seonghwa gulped, his hands starting to shake, but he tried to make them stop. He quickly raked his brain for a lie, not wanting to tell Jimin he was late, because he was helping Hongjoong with something. Jimin became extra jealous and possessive if he found out Seonghwa was with Hongjoong. “I…I-I was helping a f-friend.”_

_**_

_“No you weren’t,” Jimin accused, gripping Seonghwa’s hair, making him hiss. “Tell me the truth, Seonghwa.”_

_“P-please, h-hyung,” he pleaded._

_Jimin’s grip on Seonghwa’s hair got stronger, and he twisted the strands, making Seonghwa hiss louder at the pain. “Tell. Me. The. Truth.”_

_“I-I was with H-Hongjoong,” the younger admitted._

_Jimin breathed in deeply. “Why were you with him?”_

_“I-I was helping him with s-something,” Seonghwa explained. “P-please, h-hyung, l-let me g-go.”_

_“What were you helping him with?”_

_“L-learning the choreo of a s-song,” Seonghwa replied. “P-please, h-hyung.”_

_The silver-haired male let go of Seonghwa’s hair, making him sigh in relief, but Jimin quickly slapped him across the face, before punching his cheek. “Why the fuck did you think it was a good idea to be with him? You know you’re not supposed to be even_ a foot _near Hongjoong.”_

_“H-he needed my h-help, h-hyung,” Seonghwa tried to reason. “H-he’s a f-friend.”_

_“Does it look like I care?” Jimin snapped, and he kneed Seonghwa’s stomach, making him fall to the floor. “If you’re near Hongjoong again, or even talking to him, you’re going to get worse. Understand?”_

_**_

_Seonghwa nodded rapidly, tears already rolling down his face._

Tears fall down Seonghwa’s face. After that day, Seonghwa had to put makeup on his left cheek, so the bruise that Jimin left wouldn’t be visible. And, to be safe, he also put makeup on his stomach, so no one would see the bruise there if they ever lifted his shirt. 

“Seonghwa?” A voice breaks him out of his thoughts, making him look up.

Despite his tears, Seonghwa’s face turns red, as he catches Hongjoong only with a towel around his waist, his chest, arms, face, and hair glistening with a few drops of water. Seonghwa quickly stands up. “S-sorry.”

“Hey, wait.” Hongjoong grabs Seonghwa’s wrist before he can leave the room. “Why are you crying?”

“I-it’s nothing, Hongjoong,” the older lies. 

“Hwa, tell me,” Hongjoong says softly.

Seonghwa almost gives in. Almost. Instead, he wipes his tears with his free hand and gives Hongjoong a small smile. “I-I was just crying, because…I saw a dead bird on the way here.”

It seems as if Hongjoong doesn’t believe Seonghwa, but he lets his hand go. “Alright. Are you going to shower?”

Seonghwa nods. “Y-yeah, but I’m going to let the others shower first.”

“Okay,” Hongjoong says. “Tell them to come here, then.”

Seonghwa nods again, before leaving the room, closing the door behind him. He’s glad he was able to convince Jimin to not stay, or else he’d be in big trouble right now. Wiping the remaining of his tears away, Seonghwa walks back toward the living room, and tells Yunho Hongjoong’s done showering.

\--

The next day is Thursday, and Seonghwa, unfortunately, has classes. Since Jimin’s first class is Japanese, which is just a floor above the English class, Jimin and Seonghwa have to walk together. Hongjoong still walks with them, but Jimin makes sure to be in the middle, so the two won’t be together. It's always awkward, but Jimin would always grip Seonghwa’s hand hard, so he wouldn’t say anything. Hongjoong sometimes noticed, and he would ask, but Jimin would always brush it off.

“You know, if you don’t want to go to class, you don’t have to,” Yunho says, surprising Seonghwa, as he walks inside the kitchen.

“What are you doing up, Yunho?” he asks.

“Couldn’t sleep,” Yunho replies, letting out a small shrug. “Did you hear me?”

“Yeah,” Seonghwa sighs. “I want to go to class.”

Yunho gives Seonghwa a weird look. “You’re weird.”

Seonghwa lets out an almost forced chuckle, serving himself a cup of coffee. To be honest, he will do anything to not be able to have to go to his classes. Or at least change his schedule, so he won’t have to walk with Jimin. The last time he tried to skip his classes, Jimin got so angry, he left him with a bruised knee, which hurt like a bitch, so Seonghwa makes sure to never do it again.

“Do you want me to make you some warm milk?” he offers.

Yunho nods. “Yeah. Thanks, hyung. I made myself some warm milk earlier, but it didn’t help. Whenever you make it, though, I always end up falling asleep. How do you do that?”

Seonghwa looks at Yunho with a smug smile. “A chef never reveals their secrets.”

“Isn’t that a magician?”

“No. Shut up.”

Yunho chuckles. “Do you think we’re going to win the competition?”

“Probably,” Seonghwa answers. “Why?”

“I really want to go to New York,” Yunho says, smiling like a child. “It’s always been my dream to go there.”

“Mine, too,” Seonghwa agrees, but he doesn’t want to spend it with Jimin. “Hey, Yunho?”

“Yeah?”

“Should I…should I break up with Jimin?” Seonghwa asks.

Yunho’s eyes slightly widen. “Why do you ask that? Are you not happy with him?”

 _No, I’m not._ “I-it’s not that,” Seonghwa says. “It’s just…I don’t think I feel the spark between us, you know?”

“Then break up with him,” Yunho suggests.

 _If I do that, he’ll kill me. Literally_ , Seonghwa thinks to himself, turning off the stove. He pours the warm milk into a mug and hands it to Yunho, who thanks him. Seonghwa checks the clock; six thirty-two. It won’t hurt to go this early, right? 

“I’m going to leave now,” Seonghwa announces, grabbing his bag.

Yunho nods. “Bye, hyung.”

“Bye.” Seonghwa smiles at Yunho, before quickly leaving the dorm, closing the door behind him. He and Jimin always meet up around six forty-five to walk to class together, but it is six thirty-two. Jimin won’t hurt him if Seonghwa lied, and said he had to get to class early, because he needed to talk with his teacher, right?

Seonghwa quickly walks toward his class, which is around ten minutes away. If he hurries, he can make it in five. He starts to speed walk, but it seems as if luck isn’t on his side, because he soon hears familiar footsteps, making him slow down his pace.

“Were you trying to avoid me, Park Seonghwa?” Jimin asks playfully, but there’s seriousness in his tone.

“N-no,” Seonghwa nervously chuckles. “I-I just had to talk with my t-teacher.”

“Okay,” Jimin says, and brings Seonghwa in for a kiss. Seonghwa hesitantly kisses back and waits until Jimin pulls away. He doesn’t, though, wrapping his arms around Seonghwa’s waist. The younger is a bit surprised, but he doesn’t pull away, too afraid to do so. That is until Jimin’s hand starts trailing down, and he gropes Seonghwa’s ass.

“Jimin!” he exclaims, pushing him away. “What do you think you’re doing?!”

“I can’t touch my boyfriend?” Jimin asks, raising an eyebrow. He’s got that look he wears when he abuses Seonghwa, but thankfully, that’s when Hongjoong arrives.

“Hey,” he greets. “I’m glad you guys got up early, too.”

Seonghwa almost sighs in relief out loud. He wants to hug Hongjoong, and whisper ‘thank you’ in his ear, but Jimin isn’t letting him. 

“Hey, Hongjoong,” Jimin returns. “What are you doing up early?”

“I could ask you the same thing, Jimin,” Hongjoong replies, and looks at Jimin with a smile, but it looks deadly.

“I had a feeling Seonghwa was already up, so I decided to get up, too,” he explains. “What are _you_ doing up early?”

“Couldn’t sleep.” Technically, Hongjoong isn’t lying. He just couldn’t stop thinking about why Seonghwa was crying. Hongjoong knows Seonghwa gave him the bullshitty excuse of seeing a dead animal, but Hongjoong knows Seonghwa was lying. He just doesn’t know why. 

“Maybe try to drink some warm milk,” Jimin suggests.

“Don’t you think I’ve tried that?”

“Then I don’t know what else to tell you, Hongjoong.”

The brown-haired male mutters some words under his breath, but neither Jimin nor Seonghwa hear what he says. Though Seonghwa knows Hongjoong is cursing Jimin, so he lets out a small smile at that.

\--

On Friday, Seonghwa doesn’t have classes, which he is thankful for, but he still has to see Jimin. The male insists they always see each other, and he even suggested once that they should move in together, but thankfully, Yeosang was there and said it’d be too quick for their relationship. Today is Saturday, and it is ten-fourteen p.m. Seonghwa arrives at Jimin’s place, and drops a cup, making it shatter. Jimin makes Seonghwa clean the pieces up with his bare hands, and Seonghwa is slowly picking the shards up because he doesn’t want to get cut. 

“Can’t you hurry the fuck up?!” Jimin exclaims. “Why are you taking so long?!”

“Th-the p-pieces a-are s-sharp, h-hyung,” Seonghwa tries to explain. 

“Does it look like I care?!” Jimin snaps. “Hurry the fuck up!”

Tears are already blurring Seonghwa’s vision, but he knows better than to let them fall. He tries to hurry up his pace, but, because of his tears and shaky hands, he accidentally grabs the sharpest shard, and cuts his finger. Blood starts to ooze out of the cut, and Jimin notices.

**

“You stupid bitch!” he yells, pushing Seonghwa, which makes him fall. To his luck, his palm lands on another shard. He wants to let out a scream, but he knows better. He bites his bottom lip, not being able to stop the tears. “Why are you crying?!”

“I-I’m s-sorry-”

Seonghwa’s shut up when Jimin slaps him across the face. 

“You’re good for nothing!” Jimin snarls. “Get out of the way.” 

Seonghwa immediately crawls back and watches Jimin clean the pieces up. Once Jimin’s done, he turns toward Seonghwa, a deadly look in his eye. 

\--

Seonghwa limps toward who knows where. The last time he checked the time, it was ten twenty-seven, but that was two hours ago. He doesn’t know what time it is now. He doesn’t know where his feet are taking him, but he doesn’t really care. He knows he doesn’t want to go to Hongjoong’s dorm—especially in his current condition—so he forces his feet to take him somewhere else, and ends up at San’s and Wooyoung’s dorm. Seonghwa knows he can go to his dorm, but Yunho’s sleeping, and Seonghwa will wake him up with his crying. Knowing San and Wooyoung, they don’t go to sleep until nine a.m.

Once Seonghwa arrives at Woosan’s dorm, he weakly knocks on the door, waiting for someone to answer the door. The air is chilly tonight, and Seonghwa’s just wearing a short-sleeved shirt that will expose all his injuries. The door is opened a few seconds later, revealing San, who’s surprised to see Seonghwa.

“Hyung? What are-” San stops mid-sentence, his eyes widening as he takes in the sight of Seonghwa practically drenched in blood. “Oh my god, what happened to you?!”

“P-please h-help,” the older meekly pleads, and feels his knees wobble before they give out. San quickly catches him, before he can fall to the floor.

“Woo, come here!” San calls out.

Wooyoung’s immediately there in, like, a second. He’s surprised to see Seonghwa, especially since he’s drenched in blood, but he quickly picks up the oldest, and carries him to the couch, not caring that he’s staining the fabric.

“I’ll go get the medical kit,” Wooyoung says, before leaving.

“What happened to you, hyung?” San asks, tears filling up in his eyes. “Tell me. _Please_.”

Seonghwa shakes his head, going in and out of consciousness. Wooyoung is back with the medical kit soon, and he and San hurry to fix up Seonghwa’s injuries. It’s an extra help that San is studying to become a doctor. When they’re done patching up Seonghwa—which takes around ten minutes—they let him rest, deciding to question him later. 

\--

The next morning, Seonghwa wakes up around ten thirty-seven. The dorm is quiet, but from what he can remember from last night, he knows he’s expecting a lot of questions from San and Wooyoung. His body is sore and in pain, but he can manage. He stands up, his head pounding a bit.

“You’re up,” says a relieved voice, making Seonghwa look toward whom said it.

“M-morning,” he greets.

“Are you hungry?” San questions. “Wooyoung made some waffles.”

Seonghwa nods, and starts getting up, but he still feels dizzy. Wooyoung notices, and quickly gets up to go help Seonghwa. The older thanks him, and Wooyoung helps him sit down on the chair next to San.

“What happened last night, hyung?” he asks, as Wooyoung starts to prepare Seonghwa’s waffles. He’s listening, though.

“I-I can’t tell you,” Seonghwa mutters, looking down at his lap.

San sighs, and brings Seonghwa’s chin up with his index finger and thumb. “Come on, hyung. Tell us. We can help.”

Seonghwa shakes his head, tears blurring his vision. “N-no. H-he’s going to kill me if he finds out.”

“We’re going to protect you,” San promises. “Tell us, hyung. Whoever this son of a bitch is I can take care of him. I have a black belt in karate, remember?”

Seonghwa sighs, but feels a bit assured by San’s words. Taking a deep breath, he finally says, “It was…it was Jimin.”

 _“Jimin-hyung_ did this?!” San and Wooyoung exclaim in unison.

Seonghwa slowly nods. “L-last night I went to his place, a-and I accidentally dropped a cup. H-he made me clean it up, b-but I was too slow, s-since I didn’t want to get cut. H-he got mad, a-and he…hit me. A-a lot.”

“We know,” San sighs. “You were drenched in blood last night, hyung.” He motions toward the couch and Seonghwa looks at it, seeing that there is a huge patch of blood on it. 

“S-sorry about that,” he apologizes. “I-I promise I’ll clean it later.”

“You don’t have to,” San assures. “We’ll clean it, but hyung, you need to report Jimin. He can’t keep treating you like this.”

“Is that why you were acting weird on Wednesday?” Wooyoung asks.

Seonghwa slowly nods. “I-I can’t report Jimin, th-though. H-he’ll _literally_ kill me if he ever finds out I d-did.”

“He’ll have to get through us first,” San scowls. “You know, the only reason I’m not storming over to his place and destroying him is for your sake, hyung. If you want, we can go with you to report him.”

Seonghwa shakes his head. “N-no. A-at least let us go to New Y-York. _I-if_ we win, anyway.”

“Okay, but we’re going to be with you and Jimin at all times,” Wooyoung says, placing down a plate in front of Seonghwa. He looks down at it, seeing that Wooyoung has prepared his waffles just the way he likes them: Nutella on them, with powdered sugar, bananas, and strawberries. 

“A-also, you guys have to _promise_ you won’t tell the o-others,” he says. 

“Why?” San questions.

“Th-they’ll want to report Jimin, a-and they won’t take no for an answer,” Seonghwa reminds. “E-especially H-Hongjoong.”

“You’re right about that,” Wooyoung mutters. “We won’t tell the others, then, but you have to promise you won’t be with Jimin alone, okay?”

Seonghwa nods.


	13. Avoiding Him

For the rest of the day, Seonghwa spends it at San’s and Wooyoung’s dorm. He helps the two clean his bloodstain on the couch, even though they tell him to rest because his body still hurts. Seonghwa ignores them and does a few more chores. It takes a lot of convincing, but San and Wooyoung finally get Seonghwa to sit down all day, not letting him do anything.

“You guys  _ do  _ know I’m not paralyzed, right?” he asks, as they all eat the dinner Wooyoung made: dolsot bibimbap. 

“We know, but your body still hurts, hyung,” San reminds. “Would you let  _ us  _ do things if we were injured?”

“No…”

“Exactly,” Wooyoung says. “You need your rest, hyung. Now, all we have to do is find out how we’re going to be there when you’re with Jimin.”

“How about I give you my taser?” San suggests. “I don’t really need it.”

Seonghwa shakes his head. “N-no. H-he’ll manage to get up, a-and catch me, b-before I can get away.”

“Have you thought about stabbing him?” Wooyoung questions and Seonghwa almost chokes on his food.

“W-Wooyoung!”

“Great idea, Woo!” San agrees, and the two high five.

“Are you two crazy?!” Seonghwa exclaims.

San and Wooyoung look at each other, before looking back at Seonghwa. They then nod.

“Perfect way of defending yourself,” San explains. “And if you’re ever held in custody, you can just say it was self-defense, and show all the injuries Jimin’s left on you.”

“I-I am not going to  _ stab  _ Jimin, guys,” Seonghwa mutters.

“He’s done worse to you,” Wooyoung says. “We’re just trying to give you ideas, hyung.”

“I know, and I love you guys for it, but I’m sure I’ll be fine,” Seonghwa says. “The only way Jimin will be okay with you two staying is if San tells him he has a black belt in karate.”

“I can tell him right now,” he says. San doesn’t wait for Seonghwa to reply, already grabbing his phone. He dials Jimin’s number and waits for the male to pick up. He soon does a few seconds later.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Jimin,” San greets, not as enthusiastically as he used to. 

“Hey, San,” Jimin greets back. “Why are you calling?”

“I just wanted to tell you I have a black belt in karate,” San replies, looking at his nails. “So, if you ever try to like…you know…punch me, I’d be able to get your ass on the ground, twist your arm behind your back, before your fist even touches my face. And don’t even get me started on what I can do if you try to do it again.”

The three can hear Jimin  _ loudly  _ gulp on the other line.

“A-alright,” he says, a bit quietly. “I-is that all?”

“Yup,” San answers, popping the p. “Bye!”

“Bye…” Jimin quickly hangs up, making San let out a small pout.

“Rude,” he huffs. 

“D-do you think it’d work?” Seonghwa asks, a bit hopefully.

“Yes,” San assures. “He sounded pretty scared to me.”

“Hey, why don’t you talk like that to me in the bedroom?” Wooyoung pouts.

“I could if you wanted me to,” San smirks, leaning in.

“I do,” Wooyoung whispers, and pecks San’s lips. Before their kiss can escalate, they can hear Seonghwa awkwardly clear his throat, obviously uncomfortable.

“Can you guys…um…do that when I’m  _ not  _ here?” he asks. 

“Sorry,” San apologizes, his cheeks turning red. “I always forget people are here when Wooyoung talks all dirty like that.”

“You-”

“Please don’t say anything else, Wooyoung,” Seonghwa groans. “Would you guys like it if I ever talked like that?”

“With who?” San questions.

“I don’t know, but would you like it?”

“Well, if it was Hongjoong-hyung…” Wooyoung says out loud. “I wouldn’t, because I’ve been shipping you guys for  _ so  _ long.”

“Get your mind out of the gutter,” Seonghwa mutters, turning red as San’s face. 

Wooyoung laughs.

\--

When the three feel like going to sleep, Seonghwa sleeps in the extra room next to San’s and Wooyoung’s bedroom. Thankfully, the two don’t have sex—they probably did, but Seonghwa wonders how Wooyoung would’ve kept quiet—so Seonghwa sleeps peacefully. Well, as peacefully as he can with worrying about what Jimin would to him if he finds out that Seonghwa told San and Wooyoung that he abuses him.

The next morning, Seonghwa wakes up to the smell of eggs, french toast, and coffee. He can hear San and Wooyoung talking in the kitchen, but Seonghwa doesn’t know what they're talking about. He gets up from his bed, his body a bit less sore than yesterday, and pads toward the kitchen. There, he sees San brewing the coffee, whilst Wooyoung hugs him from behind, his arms around the older’s slim waist. Seonghwa smiles at the scene and takes a seat at the kitchen island.

“Morning,” he greets.

“Oh, morning, hyung,” San returns. “How’d you sleep?”

“I slept…fine,” Seonghwa partially lies. “You?” He sees San and Wooyoung give each other a look, quietly giggling.

“We slept  _ amazing _ , hyung,” Wooyoung replies.

“How did you guys keep quiet?” Seonghwa asks. 

“Gags,” San says nonchalantly, making Seonghwa’s jaw drop.

“Oh, you kinky fucks!” he exclaims.

Wooyoung chuckles. “We didn’t use real gags, hyung. I just stuffed a cloth into San’s mouth to keep him from moaning.”

“What about you?”

“I know how to keep quiet.” Wooyoung shrugs, and pulls away from San to start serving their breakfast.

Seonghwa looks at Wooyoung in surprise.  _ “You  _ know how to keep quiet?”

“Surprising, right?” San agrees.

“Shut up,” Wooyoung grumbles, making the older two laugh.

“Oh, by the way, hyung, I charged your phone,” San says, pointing to the oldest’s phone that is charging on the counter. 

“Thanks,” he says. “Can you pass me it, please?”

San nods, and disconnects Seonghwa’s phone from the charger. He hands the device to the older, who thanks him, turning it on. But once he does, Seonghwa sees that his screen is  _ filled  _ with messages and missed calls from Jimin. Seonghwa gulps, reading over the messages that mainly say ‘where the fuck are you’ and ‘you are in so much trouble.’ Seonghwa lets out a shaky breath, and puts his phone down. San and Wooyoung don’t fail to notice, though, and they look at him in concern.

“What’s wrong?” Wooyoung asks.

“Can we see your phone?” San says. Seonghwa nods. San grabs the oldest’s phone, and turns it on, seeming surprised by the filled screen. His eyes narrow, as he continues to read over the messages. He hands the phone to Wooyoung, who also seems to be a bit angry.

“Who the fuck does he think he is?” he grumbles. “You have your own life; he doesn’t control it.”

“He has for the last few days,” Seonghwa mutters. 

“We need to get you a new phone number,” San says. 

Seonghwa rapidly shakes his head. “No. H-he’ll come f-for me-”

“Hyung, listen to me,” Wooyoung interrupts, grabbing the sides of Seonghwa’s head. “You are safe. We’re going to be by your side at all times. Nothing’s going to happen to you, okay?”

“I think it’s time we tell the others,” San says. “I know you wanted to wait, but they deserve to know, too.”

“I-I-”

“You’ll be safe, hyung,” Wooyoung reassures. “Just take deep breaths.”

Seonghwa nods, breathing in and out, and focusing on San and Wooyoung. He soon starts to calm down, and Wooyoung lets go of his face.

“Eat,” San softly orders. “We’re going to the phone shop later. Do you want the rest to come?”

Seonghwa thinks about it before he nods.

\--

Two hours later, it is eleven-o-nine a.m., and that’s when the eight decide to go to the phone shop. Hongjoong, Yunho, Yeosang, Mingi, and Jongho still don’t know why they need to go to the phone shop, but San and Wooyoung assure them they are going to tell them. 

“Do you want to go to your dorm to change out of your clothes?” he asks as he walks inside the room Seonghwa is staying in.

The older shakes his head. “C-can I borrow something?”

“Sure.” Wooyoung nods before he leaves. He soon returns, and hands Seonghwa a plain oversized hoodie and loose pants. Seonghwa thanks him, and Wooyoung leaves to give him some privacy. Hourly, San checks on Seonghwa’s wounds, changing the bandages if needed. Seonghwa still has a few on, so it’d be hard to change, but he can manage. He quickly changes into the hoodie and pants, before opening the door, and walking toward the living room. He sees San and Wooyoung already there.

“Are you guys ready?” Seonghwa questions.

“Yeah,” San replies. “Are you?”

Seonghwa nods. “Let’s go, then.”

San and Wooyoung nod this time, and the three walk out of the couple’s dorm, Wooyoung closing and locking the door behind them. They walk toward the parking lot where they all agree to meet up, and when they arrive, they see the others already there.

“Hi-” Hongjoong smiles at the others, but his smile quickly turns into a frown when he sees Seonghwa’s face. “Oh my god, what happened?!”

“W-we’ll explain later,” Wooyoung assures. “Ready to go?”

The others hesitantly nod, and they all get inside Yunho’s and Yeosang’s car. Seonghwa gets inside Yunho’s car, as well as Mingi and Hongjoong. The whole time they drive toward the phone shop, Seonghwa can sense Hongjoong’s eyes on him, but Seonghwa doesn’t dare to look up, because he knows he’d give in if he locks eyes with Hongjoong.

“We’re here,” Yunho announces a few minutes later, parking the car.

They all unbuckle themselves, getting out of the car. They walk toward the entrance, and get inside, greeted with fresh air.

“Good morning,” one of the workers greet. “What may I help you guys with?”

“Um, I-I want to change my phone number,” Seonghwa explains.

“Alright,” the worker replies. “Come with me.”

Seonghwa looks at the others, and they look confused, except for San and Wooyoung. San grabs Seonghwa’s arm and leads him toward where the worker is waiting at his desk.

“What’s wrong with Seonghwa-hyung?” Yeosang asks, a small frown on his face. “He’s worrying me.”

“We’ll explain later,” Wooyoung reassures.

“When is ‘later’?” Mingi demands. 

“After we change Seonghwa-hyung’s phone number, and go back to the dorms,” Wooyoung says. “I promise, okay?”

“You better,” Jongho mutters.

\--

When they arrive back at the university, and Yunho and Yeosang park their cars in empty parking spots, they immediately start unbuckling themselves. Seonghwa is doing it, too, but he looks up, seeing a familiar silver-haired male. His heart stops, as well as the rest of his body.

“Seonghwa, you okay?” Hongjoong questions. “Seonghwa?”

The oldest shakes his head. “N-no.  _ H-he’s  _ there.”

“Who?”

“J-Jimin.”

Hongjoong raises an eyebrow and looks toward where Seonghwa is looking at, indeed seeing him. But Hongjoong doesn’t see anything wrong with it. “So?”

“H-he’s coming for me,” Seonghwa whispers, and tears well up in his eyes. “H-he’s going to hurt me.”

“Woah, why would he hurt you?” Yunho asks, seeming to have heard Seonghwa.

“I-I can’t go out there,” he says, instead of answering Yunho.

“You’ll be okay, hyung,” Mingi assures. “We’re here, and we won’t let anything happen to you.”

“Here, grab my hand,” Hongjoong offers, holding out his hand. Seonghwa looks down at it and rapidly shakes his head. “You’ll be okay, Hwa. Just grab my hand. I’ll protect you.” Seonghwa lets out a small whimper, but reluctantly grabs Hongjoong’s hand. The younger helps him get out of the car, and Seonghwa immediately clings onto Hongjoong’s arm as if his life depends on it. Yunho and Mingi get out, too, and they all start walking toward Yeosang’s and Jongho’s dorm, deciding on it earlier. San and Wooyoung seem to notice Jimin as well, but they notice Seonghwa clinging to Hongjoong, so they don’t do anything.

“Seonghwa!” Jimin looks relieved once he sees the younger. But his eyes narrow, as he sees Seonghwa clinging to Hongjoong, and anger appears in them, but it quickly disappears. “Hey, everyone.”

“Hey, hyung,” Yeosang greets. “Were you looking for Seonghwa-hyung?”

“Yeah, I was,” Jimin replies. “Hwa, I’ve been calling and texting you all morning.”

“Okay, first of call, don’t call him ‘Hwa’,” Hongjoong speaks up, glaring at Jimin. “Only  _ I  _ can call him that. Make up your own nickname.”

“Jealous much?” the oldest out of all of them questions, raising an eyebrow, and tonguing the inside of his cheek.

“Why were you looking for Seonghwa?” San says, a sweet smile on his face, but for Jimin, it looks deadly.

“I-I need to talk with him,” he says.

“Well, he’s right here,” Wooyoung says. “Talk to him.”

“I-it can wait,” Jimin says, a bit nervously. “I…I need to pick up my…cat.”

“‘Kay,” Jongho says. “Bye.”

Jimin waves at them, before quickly leaving them. Once Jimin’s fully gone, Seonghwa sighs in relief.

“Th-thanks, you guys,” he says. 

“Let’s just go,” Hongjoong mutters, and pulls Seonghwa with him, as they walk toward Yeosang’s and Jongho’s dorm. Once they are there, Yeosang unlocks the door, and they walk inside, Yunho closing the door behind them. They sit down on the couch, looking at Seonghwa.

“What the heck is going on?” Yunho asks. “Why is your face all bruised up, hyung?”

Seonghwa takes a deep breath, and looks at San and Wooyoung, who nod at him. Seonghwa looks down at his lap, not knowing what to say. He then feels a warm grip on his hand, and looks up to see Hongjoong grabbing his hand. Once the two make eye contact, Hongjoong smiles softly at Seonghwa, squeezing his hand, encouraging him to speak. “J-Jimin’s…J-Jimin’s been…abusing me.”

_ “He’s been what?!” _

“Last night, he came to our dorm basically drenched in blood,” San speaks up. “We wanted to press charges, but Seonghwa-hyung kept denying.”

“Why would you deny?” Yeosang demands.

“H-he’ll hurt me more,” Seonghwa mumbles.

“Hyung, he won’t hurt you,” San reassures. “We’ll all make sure of that. Won’t we, guys?”

“Yeah,” Mingi agrees. “We’ll protect you, hyung.”

“Think of us as your knights in shining armors,” Wooyoung says, making Seonghwa release a small smile.

“When did the…abusing start?” Jongho hesitantly asks.

“The day after we became a couple,” Seonghwa replies. 

“I’m sorry, Hwa, but we’re going to have to press charges,” Hongjoong says. “I’m not taking no for an answer, either.”

“C-can we at least wait after we go to New York?” Seonghwa questions. “I-if we don’t win, you guys can press as many charges as you want to Jimin. I-I just want to enjoy New York peacefully.”

“You will without Jimin there,” Yunho grumbles.

“I won’t,” Seonghwa denies. “I’ll…keep worrying that he’s after me. Knowing that he is there, isn’t that much help, but if he ever does anything to me, you guys are there. If he’s not there, you guys won’t feel like staying by my side all the time, so I’d feel unsafe.”

The youngers look at each other, making an unspoken agreement amongst them. Finally, Yeosang speaks up: “Fine, but only if we win. If we don’t, we’re sending Jimin’s ass to jail.”

Seonghwa sighs in relief. “Th-thanks, you guys. I owe you one.”

“Your safety is enough for us,” Yeosang says, and sits down next to Seonghwa, bringing him closer, and pressing a soft kiss on top of his head. “We love you, hyung.”

“I-I love you guys, too.”

\--

Later that night, the eight are still at Yeosang’s and Jongho’s dorm. Mostly because they don’t want to leave Seonghwa alone, and they want to enjoy tonight since they have a full day ahead of themselves tomorrow. Currently, Seonghwa is standing outside at the balcony—Jongsang’s dorm is one of the few dorms that have balconies, those lucky hoes—and staring up at the sky. It's night time, so the moon and the stars are already up. Seonghwa always liked looking up at them, since it makes him feel a bit calmer.

“Hey,” says a voice softly behind him.

Seonghwa jumps a bit in surprise, not expecting anyone to come join him. He turns around, even more surprised to see Hongjoong walking onto the balcony.

“H-hey,” Seonghwa returns.

“Have you been okay out here?” Hongjoong asks, standing next to Seonghwa, enjoying the night breeze hitting his face and hair.

Seonghwa looks at Hongjoong, thinking the breeze moving Hongjoong’s hair makes him look more ethereal. “Y-yeah. W-why?”

Hongjoong shrugs, taking a sip of his drink. “I was just asking. The others keep thinking Jimin will suddenly become Spiderman, and climb up a five-story building. I keep telling them you’re fine, but they’re still worried.”

“S-so they sent you?” Seonghwa chuckles.

Hongjoong lets out a small laugh, nodding. “Yeah, I guess. You know…they never did stop shipping us. Even after you got with Jimin.”

“I-I know,” Seonghwa whispers. “A-are you okay with that?”

“Okay with what?”

“W-with them shipping us.” 

“Always have been, Hwa,” Hongjoong replies, making the older’s face heat up, and turn red. He's glad it is dark.

“I-I thought you weren’t gay,” he says.

“Me, too,” Hongjoong surprisingly agrees, and, it might be Seonghwa’s imagination, but he swears Hongjoong’s getting closer to him on purpose. “Someone made me realize I’m not fully straight.”

“W-who made you realize that?” Seonghwa is brave enough to ask.

Hongjoong looks up at Seonghwa but doesn’t say anything. Instead, he says, “So, why didn’t you tell us Jimin was treating you badly earlier?”

“I-I didn’t want to get more hurt,” Seonghwa mutters. “I-I’m sorry for not telling you guys sooner.”

“Don’t apologize, Hwa,” Hongjoong says. “You have nothing to apologize for. You were scared, because that son of a bitch made you, so it’s okay. Don’t apologize.”

Seonghwa nods. “Th-thank you.”

Hongjoong nods this time, and the two look up at the sky again, not knowing that the other six are staring at them expectantly from inside. 

“Hwa?” Hongjoong calls out, looking at Seonghwa.

The older hums in reply, looking back at Hongjoong. “Yeah?”

Hongjoong doesn’t say anything, though. Instead, he places his cup down and brings Seonghwa into a kiss. The older is a bit surprised, but he soon gets over his shock, and kisses Hongjoong back, wrapping his arms around the younger’s neck. Hongjoong’s hands soon start trailing down, until they reach Seonghwa’s waist. They're too into their kissing that they don’t hear the loud squeals coming from the inside, and the sound of a camera taking pictures of them.

Hongjoong and Seonghwa kiss each other hungrily, missing the taste of each other’s lips. But they sadly pull away, before anything else can happen, resting their forehead against each other’s, breathing a bit heavily.

“It was you,” Hongjoong whispers.

Seonghwa opens his eyes, looking at Hongjoong in confusion, as he pulls away a bit. “W-what did I do?”

“It was you that made me realize that I am, in fact, not fully straight. I’m…in love with you, Seonghwa.”


	14. New York

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’ve never been on a flight, so idk how things work over at the airport, so feel free to correct me :)
> 
> TW: mentions of rape and abuse (there’ll be a ** when the abuse starts and ends)

The next day, Seonghwa wakes up on the couch, hearing people talking. He's sure the others are up since usually he’s been sleeping later than usual, ever since Jimin started abusing him. Shaking the unnecessary worrying thoughts, Seonghwa sits up, seeing the others rushing.

“Why are you guys rushing?” he asks.

“Morning,” Hongjoong greets, a small smirk on his face. “Your breakfast’s on the table.”

“Th-thanks,” Seonghwa stutters, feeling his face heat up. “W-where are you guys going?”

“We have to go to the dance competition, remember?” Yunho says. 

Seonghwa’s eyes widen, and he quickly looks at the clock; seven-o-nine a.m. He sighs in relief. They have to leave at nine. “Oh, thank god.”

“We already ate, but we didn’t want to wake you just yet,” Yeosang says. “You deserve your rest. By the way, hyung, you should go shower by now.”

“I will,” Seonghwa promises, and hurriedly gets up.

“Wait, can you dance?” San questions. “How are your injuries?”

“They don’t hurt that much,” Seonghwa assures. “I’m sure I can still dance.”

“Okay, but I’m going to tell Professor Kim, just in case, okay?” Mingi says, and Seonghwa nods.

“Where did you guys put the dance uniforms?” he inquires.

“They’re in the room next to the bathroom,” Wooyoung replies.

Seonghwa nods again, quickly thanks Wooyoung, before heads to the bathroom to shower. The others soon hear the water in the shower running not even a few minutes later, and continue getting ready.

“So…finally admitted to your feelings to Seonghwa-hyung?” Jongho asks, looking at Hongjoong.

“H-how did you guys-?”

“We’re smart,” Yunho replies. “Well, not really, but we could tell from the way Seonghwa-hyung was blushing really hard last night.”

“Did you ask him out?” Yeosang questions with a small squeal.

Hongjoong rolls his eyes. “No, guys. He’s still with Jimin, remember?”

“So?” San scoffs. “No one cares now that Jimin’s abusing Seonghwa-hyung. You can take him away from Jimin.”

“As much as I want to, people would think bad of me,” Hongjoong reminds. “Besides, Jimin might hurt Seonghwa more if he finds out. I don’t think Seonghwa would want to break up with him right now, either.”

“You’re such a party pooper,” Mingi whines.

“Hey, it took you and Yunho almost a year to get together,” Hongjoong shoots back.

“Sh-shut up,” Yunho and Mingi both grumble, turning red.

Hongjoong smirks in triumph, before reminding them to continue getting ready.

\--

For the next hour, Hongjoong and Seonghwa don’t talk, since they're too busy to do so. They occasionally steal glances from each other, but that's it. When eight-fifty rolls around, they all get out of Yeosang’s and Jongho’s dorm to head toward the parking lot, where their dance professor and other students are waiting. Remembering Jimin signed up as well, Seonghwa makes sure to stick close to Hongjoong, and the male doesn’t mind. Once they arrive, they can see the seventeen students—including Jimin—waiting there with the professor.

“The bus isn’t here yet?” Wooyoung groans. “It’s eight fifty-eight.”

“We did say we were gonna leave at nine,” the professor reminds. “The bus will get here at nine, Wooyoung.”

The male sighs, crossing his arms.

“I’ma go tell the professor about your injuries,” Jongho whispers to Seonghwa, eyeing Jimin, who is talking with his friends, warily.

“Okay,” Seonghwa says, and Jongho walks toward the professor. Seonghwa sees them exchange words, before the professor and Jongho head back toward Seonghwa.

“Seonghwa, if you’re not feeling well, you don’t have to participate,” Professor Kim says. “You can stay.”

“I feel just fine to participate, Professor,” Seonghwa assures. “I’ll be fine.”

“Alright,” Professor Kim mutters. “If you start to feel unwell, just tell me, okay? If you’re dancing, just get out of there.”

“I will,” Seonghwa promises, and Professor Kim pats his shoulder, before walking back toward where she was.

“Hey, didn’t I say _I_ was going to tell Professor Kim?” Mingi asks, frowning.

Jongho smirks, sticking his tongue out at Mingi. “Beat you to it, hyung.”

“I don’t like you,” he pouts, crossing his arms.

“I don’t like you, either,” Jongho agrees, sticking his tongue out at Mingi again.

“You two are so childish,” Seonghwa sighs, shaking his head.

“You love us,” Mingi and Jongho say in unison.

“Sadly.”

“Hey, what’s the plan with Jimin?” Hongjoong asks, as he sees the bus finally arriving at the entrance of the parking lot. “Are you going to sit with him?”

“I-I have to,” Seonghwa replies. 

“You don’t have to,” Hongjoong reminds.

“H-he’ll kill me if I won’t.” 

“I’ll sit behind you two, then,” Hongjoong decides. “Is that okay?”

Seonghwa nods. “Th-thanks, Joong.”

The male nods this time, and they wait for the bus to arrive. Once it does, they all start piling in. Seonghwa hesitantly sits next to Jimin. The older smiles at his boyfriend, pecking his cheek. Seonghwa lets out a fake small smile but feels a bit more comforted when he sees Hongjoong sitting behind them with Jung Hoseok. The professor then recites the bus rules again, and what they’re going to do at the place once they arrive before the bus driver begins to drive. Seonghwa doesn’t talk to Jimin, too afraid and nervous to do so. Yunho and Mingi are sitting next to them, so Seonghwa feels a bit more comfortable. Around thirty minutes later, they finally arrive at the place where the competition is going to be held, seeing around twenty-five other buses.

“Alright, everyone, get your stuff, and let’s go!” Professor Kim calls out, walking out of the bus.

The students follow behind her, and they walk inside the building. The professor signs them in, and they walk toward the sitting room, where the professor explains the rules a bit clearer. The competition is going to last two days, so they sign up at a hotel. The hotel is only two minutes away from the building they are at, so they walk there. They have the option to choose their roommates and Seonghwa _badly_ wants to room with one of his friends, but he knows Jimin won’t let him.

“Are we going to be roommates?” he asks, just to make sure.

“No,” Jimin surprisingly replies. “I want to room with Yoongi-hyung.”

Seonghwa raises an eyebrow, looking toward where he last saw the oldest. The blue-haired male is talking with Hoseok, but once he sees that Seonghwa is looking at him, he waves at him. Seonghwa waves back, before looking back at Jimin.

“Alright, see you later, then,” Seonghwa says.

Jimin nods, before walking toward Yoongi and Hoseok. Seonghwa lets out a sigh of relief and heads toward his friends.

“Are you going to room with Jimin?” Yunho asks, a small frown on his face.

“No,” Seonghwa replies. “He’s going to room with Yoongi-hyung.”

“I call dibs on Seonghwa-hyung, then!” Yeosang announces, linking his arm with Seonghwa’s.

“Oh, man,” San groans. 

“Hehe.” Yeosang sticks his tongue out at San, the male doing it back.

They get their room key from the professor, before heading toward their rooms. Seonghwa and Yeosang get room nine hundred thirty-three, whilst San and Wooyoung get room nine hundred thirty-two, Jongho and Hongjoong get room nine hundred thirty-one, and Yunho and Mingi get room nine hundred thirty. They all walk inside their rooms, greeted with fresh air. The rooms look nice with a yellowish glow. The curtains are opened and the beds are nicely made, looking as if they are comfortable to sleep on. There's a nine-inch TV sitting on a dresser. Seonghwa closes the door behind him and Yeosang, placing the key down on the desk. Though once Yeosang is inside, he immediately places his bags down and starts jumping on the bed closest to the door.

“Hyung, the beds are _so_ comfy!” he squeals.

“Yeosang, get off,” Seonghwa orders, walking over toward his bed. “You’re going to fall, and get hurt.”

“No, I’m not,” Yeosang frowns. “Come on, try it, hyung.”

“No thanks,” Seonghwa says. 

“Come on,” Yeosang pleads. “Pleaseee?”

Seonghwa looks at Yeosang, the male looking at him with puppy eyes. Sighing in defeat, Seonghwa takes off his jacket. “Fine.”

“Yay!” Yeosang cheers. 

Seonghwa rolls his eyes and climbs onto the bed. He slowly starts jumping at first, but then his pace gets faster, now seeing why Yeosang likes climbing on the bed so much. The two continue jumping, smiling and laughing amongst each other. 

“This _is_ fun!” Seonghwa agrees.

“I told you!” Yeosang giggles.

The two continue jumping up and down on their beds, and Seonghwa feels all his problems leave him. He feels as if he can do anything, feeling so free. That is until the door opens, and six other people come in.

“Ooh, I want to join!” Mingi screeches.

Seonghwa didn’t even hear the door being opened, so of course, he lets out a shriek, losing his balance. He expects the back of his head to say hi to the ground, and probably crack open, but instead, he feels as if he’s floating, feeling no pain. Seonghwa opens his eyes, seeing that Hongjoong had caught him before he could fall to the ground.

“A-are you okay?” Hongjoong asks.

“Y-yeah,” Seonghwa replies, a bit breathless. “Th-thanks for catching me.”

“You’re welcome.” Hongjoong smiles at Seonghwa, placing him down. “Were _you_ just jumping on the bed, Hwa? I mean, I expected Yeosang to do it, but I never expected you to do it, too.”

“I-I gave in eventually,” Seonghwa sheepishly explains. “What are you guys doing here?”

“The dance competition?” Wooyoung reminds. 

“Oh, right!” Seonghwa and Yeosang say in unison.

“Stupids,” Yunho mutters under his breath, but the two hear it, throwing a pillow at him.

“Ready to go?” San asks.

Seonghwa and Yeosang nod.

“We’re going to win this, guys,” the younger of the two says. 

“We are,” Mingi agrees. “Hey, we should make like a good luck phrase or something.”

“We should,” Wooyoung concurs.

“What should it be?” Jongho questions.

“Well, there’s eight of us…” Hongjoong mutters, looking at all of them. “How about…‘eight makes one team’?”

The others don’t even question it; they just nod. They discuss it for a while, before slinging their arms across each others’ shoulders, bring their feet in, and yell, “Eight makes one team!” They smile at each other, before walking toward the elevator. They arrive at the lobby, seeing the teacher and the other students waiting for them.

“Why’d you guys take so long?” Professor Kim demands.

“I almost fell off the bed,” Seonghwa sheepishly explains. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Professor Kim sighs. “Let’s just go.”

The others nod, before they start following Professor Kim back to the other building. There are other teams there, too, but the competition is going to be held on a big empty field where they can dance freely. The person that is in charge of the competition—one of the universities’ deans—explains the rules again, before telling each team who they are up against. Seoul University is up against Hanyang University, which isn’t that bad. Four other teams go up before it is Seoul University’s and Hanyang University’s turn. For the first song, TXT’s “Can’t We Just Leave The Monster Alive?” plays, and Seoul wins the point. Five more songs play, and the score is 5-1, Seoul University with the most points. Seoul ends up playing against thirteen other teams, and only ten of those are in the top ten. The universities that are in the final round are Seoul, Yonsei, Hongik, Chung-Ang, Konkuk, Kyung Hee, Dongguk, Sogang, Myongji, and Hankuk University.

“For the universities that weren’t in the top ten, I am sorry, but you guys are disqualified,” the dean says once she finishes saying who's in the top ten. “The teams in the top ten, congratulations. We will figure out who the winner is tomorrow. Thank you.”

Seonghwa and the others are drenched in sweat. They had danced to over ten songs and are _exhausted_. The good thing is they had fun, and ended up being in the top ten. The also good thing is that Seonghwa never talked to Jimin, nor did the older talk to Seonghwa. 

“Alright, everyone, gather your stuff!” Professor Kim calls out. “We’re heading back to the hotel! Good job today!”

Everyone sighs in relief, getting up. They follow behind the professor, who leads them back to the hotel. 

“That was exhausting, but fun,” Seonghwa says.

“It was,” Yunho agrees. “All I wanna do right now, though, is just lay down on my bed, and sleep.”

“You’re not hungry?” Yeosang asks, raising an eyebrow. “It’s about five right now.”

“Really?” Yunho’s eyes widen in surprise, and he takes out his phone, checking the time; five p.m. “How in the world is it five already?”

“Well, dancing takes time,” San reminds. “We also had those breaks, which also takes time.”

“I just wish tomorrow is faster,” Yunho sighs.

They soon arrive back at their hotel and shower. The others agree to go out to eat, even though Yunho complains he is tired.

(they all know he's still gonna go, though.)

Seonghwa lets Yeosang shower first, and once the younger is done, Seonghwa showers. When he's done, he quickly changes into a white turtleneck that's underneath a light blue, dark pink, dark blue, and white long-sleeved collared shirt, which is french tucked into black ripped jeans. Seonghwa walks out of the bathroom, seeing Yeosang, who is changed into a black shirt tucked into black jeans, a maroon cardigan on top, putting on some makeup.

“Why are you putting makeup on, Yeosang?” Seonghwa asks as he sits down on his bed, taking out his shoes.

“I wanna look good for my boyfriend,” Yeosang replies. “Don’t you wanna look good for yours?”

“J-Jimin isn’t coming, though.”

Yeosang rolls his eyes. “I meant Hongjoong-hyung.”

“Oh.” Seonghwa’s face turns red, and he’s glad Yeosang is too concentrated on his makeup. “H-he’s not my boyfriend.”

“He basically confessed his love for you,” Yeosang reminds. “What else do you want?”

“To be single to date him.” 

“Forget about Jimin,” Yeosang scoffs. “Hyung can treat you _a hundred_ times better.”

“Well, too bad I’m too scared to break up with Jimin,” Seonghwa nervously chuckles.

“I’ll do it for you,” Yeosang volunteers.

“No thanks, Yeosang,” Seonghwa sighs. _“I_ need to do it, or else Jimin will think it’s a prank.”

Yeosang shakes his head. He continues to do his makeup, which takes ten more minutes. When he and Seonghwa are ready, they both get out of their shared room, walking outside. They agreed to meet up at the lobby, so that’s where they head. Once they arrive, they see Hongjoong, Yunho, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho talking.

“Hey,” Yeosang greets. “We ready to go?”

“Yeah,” San says. “Doesn’t somebody looks nice?”

Yeosang smiles. “Thanks.” 

“H-has anyone seen Jimin anywhere?” Seonghwa asks.

“I think he’s in his room,” Mingi replies. “Why?”

“J-just asking,” Seonghwa says. “Ready?”

The others nod, and they get up to leave the hotel. They have to text their professor where they are going if they're going to leave, so Wooyoung texts her before he enjoys the rest of the night with his friends. They end up going to a Korean BBQ, and almost drunk, but thankfully remember they still have the competition tomorrow. For dessert, they go to a cheesecake shop, and they all get a piece of cheesecake.

(wooyoung, yunho, yeosang, san, and mingi get two.)

To end their day off, they all go to a boba shop, get a boba, before heading back toward the hotel. They laugh and talk on the way, enjoying the way they ended their day. 

“Where are you going, hyung?” Wooyoung questions as he sees Seonghwa separating from them.

“I’m…going to talk with Professor Kim,” he lies. 

“Why?” Jongho says. “Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine,” Seonghwa assures. “She just asked me to meet her earlier.”

“Alright,” Hongjoong mutters. They don’t seem as if they believe Seonghwa, but they let him go. Seonghwa pretends to walk toward Professor Kim’s room, but once he sees that the others can’t see him anymore, he heads the other direction, heading toward room a hundred one: Jimin’s room. Seonghwa knows he shouldn’t be going there—especially since he doesn’t know what Jimin might end up doing to him—but Seonghwa still can’t help but feel worried for his boyfriend. Once he arrives at the older’s room, he knocks on the door. For a quick second, he hears what sounds like moans, but the sounds stop just as quickly as he heard them. A few seconds later, Jimin opens the door, but he’s shirtless, his toned chest glistening a bit with sweat.

“Seonghwa?” For the first time, Jimin doesn’t sound like he’s mad at Seonghwa. 

“Hey,” he greets.

“What are you doing here?” Jimin asks.

“I…I just wanted to check up on you,” Seonghwa explains. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” Jimin replies. “Are you?”

Seonghwa’s a bit surprised that Jimin’s asking him this, but he nods. “Y-yeah. Well, see you later.”

“Bye,” Jimin says before he quickly closes the door.

Seonghwa just stands outside Jimin’s room for a few seconds, a bit confused. Finally, Seonghwa snaps out of it, heading back toward his room. As he walks toward the elevator, he notices Kim Jisoo and Park Jinyoung talking amongst each other. There was once a rumor that the two dated, but no one really knows anything. Seonghwa doesn’t want to be a gossip, so he tries to drown out their conversation, but stops once he hears his name and Jimin’s.

“I never really expected Jimin to cheat on Seonghwa,” Jisoo is saying. “I thought they were a happy couple.”

“Me, too,” Jinyoung agrees. “Do you know who Jimin’s cheating on Seonghwa with?”

“I think Min Yoongi…?”

Seonghwa’s heart drops. Not only is Jimin abusing him, but _cheating_ on him, too? Why did Jimin even get with him, then? What's the point? Seonghwa feels tears blur his vision, but blinks them back. If Jisoo is known for something, that’d be for being a whore and a gossip. She _loves_ to gossip. There isn’t one day where she doesn't go gossip about anyone. 

_She’s probably lying, Seonghwa_ , he thinks to himself. _Like she always is. But…Jinyoung-hyung isn’t known to be a gossip, and he doesn’t believe Jisoo-noona most of the time, either. Yet, he did this time. Maybe Jimin_ is _cheating on me…_

Seonghwa lets out a shaky breath, shaking his head. He walks inside the elevator, and leans back against the wall, trying to calm his racing heart down.

\--

The next day, everyone’s already up by seven twenty-seven a.m. The competition starts at nine this day as well, but they only get up to warm up, shower, get ready, and eat breakfast. Seonghwa is up, too, and he's eating breakfast with his friends. They're talking and laughing, but he can’t help but stare at Jimin, seeing the silver-haired male talk and laugh with his friends. Especially Yoongi…

“Hwa, you okay?” Hongjoong’s voice breaks him out of his thoughts.

Seonghwa snaps out of it, looking at Hongjoong. “W-what?”

“Are you okay?” he repeats. “You seem a bit…pale and dozed out.”

“I-I’m fine,” Seonghwa partially lies. “I-I’m just a bit nervous, I guess.”

“Don’t be, hyung,” Yunho says. “We’re going to win.”

“Hopefully,” Seonghwa says, shoving a spoonful of food into his mouth.

When eight fifty-five rolls around, the dance professor starts leading them back toward the field they were at yesterday. They see a few other schools already there, and they wait patiently for the dean that was here yesterday to show up again. She does once it's nine.

“Good morning, everyone,” she greets. “I hope you all had a nice sleep and morning. Anyway, today you guys are going to compete against your opponents. Keep in mind, you’re all in the top ten, so it might be tricky. Anyway, the first two to compete are…Seoul and Yonsei University.”

The two universities stand up, walking toward the field. Yeosang and the others say their good luck phrase, bringing their feet in, wrapping their arms around each others’ shoulders. The music starts playing, and the first song is NCT 127’s “Kick It”. Both Seonghwa and San know the choreography by the backs of their hands, so Seoul gets the point for this one. Seoul competes against five other teams, and once they finish, it is already three thirty-five p.m., hence why there are fewer teams today.

“Okay, if I may have your attention up here!” the dean calls out, making everyone look at her. “It was a hard decision, but the judges and I made one. The winner of this dance competition is…Seoul University!”

Immediately, Seoul’s team gets up to hug each other, cheering as they jump up and down. The other teams feel defeated, but still clap for the Seoul team. Professor Kim gets the tickets from the dean, heading back toward her team, and hugging them again.

“Congratulations,” the dean says. “Thank you all for your hard work, and for participating in this competition. See you all later.”

“We won, guys!” one of the students squeal. “We’re going to New York!”

“Yeah we are!” another agrees, and they all squeal and jump around again.

“Congrats, everyone,” Professor Kim says, smiling. “We will be leaving for New York tomorrow. We’re gonna go back to the dorms, so you guys can pack your bags. If you don’t have a dorm at the university, you are allowed to go to your house or apartment, but please be back by nine a.m. tomorrow. That’s when the flight is.”

Everyone squeals again, their professor leading them toward their bus.

“We won, guys!” Yeosang squeals, as they wait in line to get inside the bus. “We’re going to New York!”

San claps his hands excitedly. “I can’t wait!” 

They all get inside the bus, and Seonghwa’s surprised to see that Jimin’s sitting with Yoongi already. Seonghwa shrugs and sits down next to Mingi. The bus driver drives back toward the university’s dorms, where they all get out to pack their bags.

“We’re going to New York, we’re going to New York,” Seonghwa hears Yunho sing, as he packs his bags.

“Your dream’s becoming real, Yunho,” Seonghwa says, zipping up his suitcases.

“I know,” Yunho says. “I’m so happy. By the way, for how long are we going to stay in New York?”

“Um…a week,” Seonghwa replies. It might seem like a small period of time, but for them, it seems exciting.

“I can’t wait!” Yunho screeches, making Seonghwa wince at how loud his voice is.

Once they’re done packing their bags, they leave their suitcases and bags in their room, since they are going to leave tomorrow morning. Once they finish, they all agree to go out to celebrate, Wooyoung texting their professor to tell her where they are going to be.

\--

The next morning, Seonghwa wakes up with his head pounding a bit. They had gone to a Korean BBQ again, and this time, they let themselves have a few drinks. ‘A few drinks’ turned into plenty, but they stopped themselves before they could fully get drunk. They all have a small hangover, but they’ve dealt with worse, so it isn’t the end of the world for them.

Currently, they are hauling their bags and suitcases toward the parking lot, where the professor told them the bus is going to be. It is around eight fifty-one a.m., so the bus is going to be here soon.

“Morning, everyone,” Mingi greets, letting out a small yawn.

“Morning,” Seonghwa returns. “Does your guys’ head hurt?”

The rest nod in unison.

“It was worth it, though,” Wooyoung says, smiling lazily. “We deserve it.”

“We do,” Jongho agrees.

“Hey, Jimin hasn’t been talking to you for the last two days,” Hongjoong says. “Did you guys break up?”

Seonghwa shakes his head. “N-no. I-I don’t know why we haven’t talked. Th-the last time I tried to talk to him, he was busy, so I left him alone.”

“At least he hasn’t been hitting you anymore,” Yunho grumbles quietly, so no one else can hear him.

“Remind me to kick him in the balls next time I see him,” Yeosang says, a sweet deadly smile on his face.

“Remind me, too,” San agrees, the others nodding in agreement.

“You guys might want to turn around,” Seonghwa chuckles nervously, noticing Jimin barely arriving.

“He’s going to have to say hi to my little friend,” Mingi scowls, cracking his knuckles. He heads toward Jimin, but Seonghwa pulls him back by the back of his hood.

“No one’s fighting anyone here,” Seonghwa warns. “Especially right now. Let’s just enjoy ourselves, guys. We’re going to New York.”

“Fine, but only because we’re going to New York,” Wooyoung huffs.

Seonghwa rolls his eyes. The bus soon arrives, and they put their stuff in the compartments of the bus, before getting inside. It’s getting unsurprising, but Jimin’s sitting next to Yoongi again. Seonghwa’s now starting to wonder why they’re always hanging out with each other, and not with the rest of their crew. But he doesn’t question them—for now—and sits down next to Jongho.

“Everyone, when we get to the airport, I don’t want you guys to wander around,” Professor Kim calls out. “I know you guys are nineteen, about to turn twenty, but some of you are still children at heart. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am!” the students reply.

Professor Kim sighs, knowing a few of them are going to disobey her, anyway. She tells the driver she can start driving, and she nods. Forty-five minutes later, the bus stops at the airport’s parking lot, the lot full of cars, even though it is barely ten a.m. The students pile out of the bus, Professor Kim getting out first. Everyone gets their stuff, and they head inside the airport.

“Please come see me for your tickets!” she yells. “You can not exchange your tickets, because that’ll take too much time, okay?”

Everyone looks disappointed, but they nod. They get their tickets from the professor, and she leads them toward the line, where they sign themselves in. Their gate number is 11B, and their plane takes off around eleven. So, they have to wait for an hour, which is fine because they can at least get snacks, or go to the bathroom.

“What plane ticket did you guys get?” Jongho asks as they all sit down at the chairs in the waiting area.

“I got seat 1A.” Hongjoong.

“1B.” Seonghwa.

“0A.” Yunho.

“5B.” Yeosang.

“7A.” San.

“4B.” Mingi.

“2A.” Wooyoung.

“I got 6B,” Jongho mutters, looking down at his ticket in confusion.

“The A and B sections are in different sections,” Hongjoong explains. “The A section is on the right side, and the B section is on the left.”

“Oh…” The others now look as if they get their plane ticket.

“H-how do you know this?” Seonghwa asks.

Hongjoong shrugs. “I’ve been on planes a lot, so I know how they work.”

“I’m kinda scared, to be honest,” Seonghwa admits. “I-I’m afraid of heights.”

Yunho snickers. “We know, hyung.”

“Then why are you making fun of me?” Seonghwa frowns.

“It’s funny,” Yeosang chuckles, making Seonghwa glare at him.

“You guys are so rude,” Seonghwa grumbles.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure Hongjoong-hyung will be there to protect you,” San smirks.

Seonghwa’s face immediately turns red, whilst Hongjoong shakes his head at San.

“W-we’re both in different sections,” Seonghwa reminds. 

“But in the same row,” Hongjoong says.

Seonghwa looks at Hongjoong in surprise. “R-really?” 

The brown-haired male nods. “So, even if you’re scared, I can still protect you.”

Seonghwa’s face turns a deeper shade of red, whilst the other six say ‘ooh’ teasingly. For the next long forty-five minutes, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho continue to tease Hongjoong and Seonghwa. Hongjoong doesn’t really mind it—he either shakes his head, or teases Seonghwa even more, whilst the oldest keeps turning red each time, looking like a tomato. Finally, their gate number is called, so they follow behind Professor Kim.

“You guys are so embarrassing,” Seonghwa whines, as they walk toward their gate number line.

“Sorry not sorry, hyung,” Mingi simpers. 

Seonghwa sighs. They show their ticket to the person in charge, and she lets them in. They follow behind their professor to their plane, and Seonghwa looks at it in amazement. The plane is _huge_ , and it’s at least twenty feet tall. Seonghwa just hopes he doesn’t get the window seat. They all get into their seats, Hongjoong and Seonghwa indeed sitting in the same row. Seonghwa, unfortunately, gets the window seat, but he’s sure he can switch seats and tickets with his partner. His partner isn’t there yet, but they soon arrive. Seonghwa looks to see who his partner is, and is surprised that Kim Seokjin sits down next to him.

“Hi,” he greets first, making Seokjin look at him. “Um…if it’s not too much to ask, c-can we switch seats and tickets? I-I’m afraid of heights.”

“Sure,” Seokjin agrees, and he and Seonghwa exchange tickets, before exchanging seats.

“Th-thanks,” he says, sighing in relief. “M-my name’s Park Seonghwa.”

Seokjin smiles, shaking Seonghwa’s hand. “Hi. My name’s Kim Seokjin, but you can just call me Jin. How old are you?”

“Oh, I’m twenty,” Seonghwa replies. 

“So I’m your hyung,” Jin says, a bit excitedly. 

“I guess,” Seonghwa giggles. “How old are _you_?”

“I’m twenty-six,” Jin answers.

“Damn,” Seonghwa drawls, making Jin raise an eyebrow. “I-I’m not saying you’re old. I-it’s just-”

Jin laughs, and Seonghwa finds out that he has a unique laugh. It isn’t that high pitched, but it sounds like someone is wiping a windshield. “I was just messing with you, Seonghwa.”

The male sighs in relief. “Oh, thank god. I thought I offended you.”

“I don’t care if you make fun of my age,” Jin assures. “Just don’t do it too offended. God, my friends are always making fun of my age, and always call me ‘mom.’”

Seonghwa looks at Jin in surprise. “They make fun of my age, and call me ‘mom’, too.”

Jin laughs his unique laugh again. “Oh, we already have so much in common. I can tell we’re going to be great friends, Seonghwa.”

The male nods, smiling. He and Jin continue talking for the next nine hours, conversation flowing smoothly between them. When it is eight twenty-nine p.m., Jin finally excuses himself to sleep, saying he's tired. Seonghwa bids him good night, and Jin thanks him, taking out a sleeping mask. The mask is white with what seems to be a llama face on it. Seonghwa giggles at the mask, Jin putting on. He takes out a plushie from underneath his seat—who knows how he did that with the mask on—and clutches it to his chest.

“Goodnight,” he whispers, leaning back against his seat.

“Goodnight, hyung,” Seonghwa returns. Jin is soon asleep, snoring peacefully in seconds. Seonghwa shakes his head and looks around the plane. A few people are already asleep, but a few are awake. Seonghwa looks toward where his friends are sitting, and sees that they’re asleep, too. Seonghwa smiles softly and lastly looks toward where Hongjoong’s sitting. Surprisingly, the male is still awake, working on something on his laptop.

“A-aren’t you tired?” Seonghwa calls out softly, making Hongjoong jump. “S-sorry.”

“It’s fine,” he assures. “Yeah, I’m still up. Are _you_ still up?”

Seonghwa nods with a giggle. “Y-yeah. I-I’m still not tired yet.”

“You might as well get your sleep,” Hongjoong says. “We arrive at one a.m.”

“S-same goes to you, then,” Seonghwa says. “W-what are you even working on?”

“Just a song,” Hongjoong replies.

“D-do you have a name yet?” Seonghwa asks.

“I do, but I’m not telling you,” Hongjoong says, a small smirk on his face.

Seonghwa lets out a small groan, pouting. “A-aww, why not?”

“Because it’s a surprise,” Hongjoong answers. “You made a new friend quick, huh?”

“D-don’t change the subject on me,” Seonghwa playfully scolds, “but yes I did.”

Hongjoong rolls his eyes. “Kim Seokjin, right? Isn’t he one of Jimin’s friends?”

“H-he is?” Seonghwa had forgotten about that.

“Yeah.” Hongjoong nods, now looking at Seonghwa. “You didn’t know?”

“I-I forgot,” he mutters.

“Do you trust him?” Hongjoong asks.

“W-why shouldn’t I?” Seonghwa says pointedly. “He hasn’t done anything to me.”

“True, but he might,” Hongjoong say. “Just be careful, Seonghwa.”

“I-I will,” he frowns. Suddenly not wanting to talk with Hongjoong anymore, Seonghwa takes out his book from underneath his seat and starts reading it. Hongjoong glances at him a few seconds later and shakes his head once he sees that Seonghwa’s reading. He mostly reads when he’s annoyed or pissed off. Sighing, Hongjoong plugs his earphones into his computer and decides to ignore Seonghwa, too.

\--

Around fifty five minutes after midnight, everyone that is asleep is woken up by the professor. Seonghwa had gone to sleep a minute after he started reading, so he's one of the students that wake up hesitantly. Glancing to his side, Seonghwa notices that Hongjoong is surprisingly still up, even though he hasn’t slept for more than fourteen hours straight. 

“Alright, students, we’re almost landing,” Professor Kim says. “Please don’t separate from the group, and take care of your belongings. Stay in a group, so you don’t lose each other.”

The students nod, and a few minutes later the plane lands. After the pilot gives the okay for them to get up, they do, getting their stuff from the compartments above their seats. They get their stuff out and get out of the plane. They walk inside the airport and get their suitcases from the baggage carousel. They walk outside the airport once they make sure everyone has their stuff, and stand there, enjoying the view of New York at night.

“We’re going to be staying at Hampton Inn hotel,” Professor Kim informs. “You can choose your roommates, but please don’t be loud. The hotel isn’t that far from here, so we’ll be walking.” A few students groan, but they still follow behind the professor. They arrive at the hotel not that much time later, and the professor signs them in. She comes back empty-handed, and the students look at her in confusion. “You guys will be getting your key when you decide on your roommate,” she explains. “Just tell the lady you’re part of the Seoul group.”

The students nod, before deciding on their roommates.

“I don’t care who I room with,” Hongjoong announces. “I just want to go to sleep.”

“I call dibs on Mingi!” Yunho exclaims.

“I call dibs on Jongho!” Yeosang.

“I call dibs on Wooyoung!” San.

“That leaves Hongjoong and Seonghwa hyung,” Mingi says teasingly. “You guys are roommates.”

Hongjoong sighs. “Whatever. I’ll go get our key.”

Seonghwa just nods, not saying anything.

“Woah, did something happen between you two?” Wooyoung asks.

“We…just had a small argument on the plane,” Seonghwa says. “It’s no big deal. We’ll get over it in the morning. We’re just tired right now.”

“Alright,” Jongho says, shrugging. He turns to Yeosang. “I’ma go get our key.”

The others soon get their keys as well, before they head toward their rooms. Luckily, Hongjoong and Seonghwa get room one hundred fourteen, Yunho and Mingi get room one hundred fifteen, Yeosang and Jongho get room one hundred sixteen, and San and Wooyoung get room one hundred seventeen. They walk inside their rooms, and since Seonghwa isn’t that tired since he fell asleep on the plane, he decides to shower. Hongjoong, though, throws his stuff on the space next to his bed, and collapses down on it, falling asleep immediately. Seonghwa shakes his head, before heading inside the bathroom, admiring how fancy it looks.

\--

Since they're allowed to do anything they wanted—except kill anyone, or do anything illegal—everyone can wake up at whatever time they want. Seonghwa wakes up this morning nine minutes before noon, even though he slept for five hours last night. He doesn’t really mind, though—the more sleep, the better. Yawning and stretching, Seonghwa sits up, sure his hair is a bird’s nest, but is surprised that Hongjoong’s bed empty. The younger slept fewer hours than him, yet, still woke up earlier than him. Seonghwa shakes his head, getting out of the bed, and hears the shower running in the bathroom.

“H-Hongjoong!” he calls out, knocking on the door. “H-hurry up! I-I need to use the bathroom!”

“I’m almost done!” Hongjoong calls back.

Seonghwa sighs, heading back to his bed. Last night, he fell asleep in his pajamas, and even though he kinda wants to, he can’t spend his first day in New York in pajamas. Seonghwa unzips his suitcase, wondering what outfit would look the best. Sure, Hongjoong is still in the room, but he's in the shower.

(besides, it’s not the first time they’ve seen each other naked.)

Seonghwa changes into his outfit soon, which is a white button-up long-sleeved shirt with a white and dark gray striped knitted sweater vest on top. The shirt is tucked into black jeans but puffed out. Thankfully, Hongjoong isn’t out of the shower yet, despite what he said earlier. Deciding to do his makeup, too, Seonghwa puts on foundation, and all that, before putting a light coat of red eyeshadow on his eyes to make them pop, and a light coat of red lipstick on his lips. He rubs his lips together to spread the color. He hears the bathroom door open just in time since he wants to curl his hair. But once he turns around, his face heats up like a million degrees, seeing Hongjoong walking out of the shower with a towel wrapped around his waist, his slightly toned chest full-on display, a few drops of water on him. His brown hair is damp, and he looks even more ethereal under the light.

“Woah, someone looks nice,” he says, not so subtly raking his eyes over Seonghwa’s frame. “You going on a date?”

“Th-thanks,” he manages to stutter out. “N-no I’m not. J-Jimin and I haven’t really talked.”

“Then why you look so nice for?” Hongjoong asks.

“I-it’s my first day here in New York,” Seonghwa reminds. “I-I should at least try to look nice, right?”

Hongjoong shrugs. “I guess. You can use the bathroom now if you want. Sorry for taking so long.”

“I-it’s fine,” Seonghwa assures, and grabs his curling iron from his bag, before heading toward the bathroom. He closes the door behind him quickly, and leans against it, taking deep breaths to calm himself down. His jeans are getting tighter, but he starts to think of his grandma to make his boner go away. Seonghwa connects the curling iron once he’s okay enough, and waits for it to heat up. Once it’s hot, he starts curling his hair.

“Seonghwa!” Hongjoong knocks on the door. “Yunho’s asking if you want to come with us to the Statue of Liberty.”

“S-sure,” Seonghwa replies. 

“Okay. Hurry up, then.”

“O-okay.” Seonghwa lets go of the last strand of hair, the piece curled, but hot. Seonghwa doesn’t want to wait until his hair is cooled off, because that’ll take too much time. He turns the curling iron off, and disconnects it, leaving it on the sink. He walks out of the bathroom, turning the light off. He sees that Hongjoong’s already dressed in a black short-sleeved tucked into black long loose pants, and white shoes. He has some light makeup on his face, but that’s it. He looks hot without even trying.

“A-are you ready?” Seonghwa asks.

“Yeah,” Hongjoong replies. “Are you?”

Seonghwa nods. “A-are the others downstairs already?”

“Yeah,” Hongjoong says. “Let’s go, then.”

Seonghwa nods again, and he and Hongjoong leave their room. They walk toward the elevator and walk inside, once the doors open. Hongjoong presses the first-floor button, and the elevator starts descending after the doors close. As the elevator goes down, Hongjoong and Seonghwa are in silence. Seonghwa doesn’t know what to say, whilst Hongjoong doesn’t feel like saying anything, enjoying the silence between them. The elevator doors soon open, and they walk outside, seeing Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho sitting in the lobby, talking and laughing amongst themselves.

“Hey,” Hongjoong greets, once he and Seonghwa arrive. “Sorry, we’re late.”

“It’s fine,” Yunho assures, smiling at them. “Woah, someone looks nice.” He directly looks at Seonghwa.

He smiles, a bit flustered. “Thanks. We ready to go?”

Yeosang nods. “Yeah. Have you guys eaten breakfast yet?”

“No,” Hongjoong answers. “Have any of you?”

San shakes his head. “Let’s go eat breakfast first, then, before we start our day.”

For the rest of the day, the eight have fun on their first day in New York. They eat breakfast at a nearby restaurant, Hongjoong ordering for them since none of them are that good at English. Then they go to other tourist stops—Central Park, Rockefeller Center & Top of the Rock Observation Deck, and Metropolitan Museum of Art. They spend at least two hours at each spot, finding everything fascinating since none of those places are in South Korea. Currently, it is six-twelve p.m., and the eight are walking down the street, covered in coats, since it is barely October, and it's starting to turn chilly in New York. The leaves are already changing colors, and the air is cold.

“Hey, Lisa-noons just texted me,” Mingi says, surprising them.

“You have Lisa-noona’s number?” Wooyoung asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Sadly,” Mingi sighs. “She gave it to me a few days before her party. Anyway, she said that everyone in our class is going to NYC Bar Pub Club Crawl to celebrate. Even Professor Kim is going.”

“I’m not surprised,” Jongho mutters, making the others release a laugh. “Should we go?”

“We’re all barely twenty,” Hongjoong reminds. “The only one who is is Seonghwa, and even _he’s_ not allowed in clubs in the U.S. You have to be at least twenty-one here.”

“We could always make fake I.D.’s,” he says.

“Are you really suggesting this, hyung?” Yunho questions in surprise.

Seonghwa shrugs. “We can break the rules once in a while. I think Moonbyul-noona can make us some fake I.D.’s.”

“Where is she, then?” Yeosang says.

“She’s back in the hotel,” Seonghwa says. “She’s just going to take at least twenty minutes making our fake I.D.’s.”

“Let’s go, then,” San agrees excitedly.

They walk back toward the hotel, Seonghwa texting Moonbyul, and telling her they need a favor. Moonbyul says she's in room two hundred nineteen, so they head there. They tell her what they need, and Moonbyul is happy to comply. She spends twenty minutes making the I.D.’s, as said, and the eight thank her when she’s done. She waves them off, and they leave her alone, so she can change and get ready. They start walking toward the club, which is only twenty minutes away. Once they arrive, they show the guards their fake I.D.’s, and thankfully, they believe them, letting them inside.

“Wow,” they all gape once they walk inside. 

“Everything’s so different here,” Mingi says. 

“Do you guys see our class or Professor Kim?” Wooyoung asks.

“I see Sunmi-noona over there,” Jongho answers, pointing to the said female, who is dressed in a short gray dress and thigh high stockings, her raven hair curled.

“I’ll go talk to her,” Hongjoong offers, and doesn’t wait for any of them to reply before walking away.

“Haven’t he and Sunmi-noona slept together before?” Seonghwa mutters, but the others hear him.

“Yeah, but I’m sure nothing will happen between them,” Yunho says.

Hongjoong walks toward Sunmi, tapping her shoulder since her back is facing him. Sunmi turns around, a bit surprised, but a smirk grows on her face, as she sees Hongjoong. She raises an eyebrow at him, and leans closer toward him, placing her manicured hand on his bicep.

“Hey, Hongjoong,” she purrs, batting her eyelashes. “What may I do for you?”

Hongjoong doesn’t bother to take Sunmi’s arm off of him—she’d just put her arm somewhere else. “Hey, noona. Where’s Professor Kim?” Sunmi jerks her chin toward somewhere, and Hongjoong follows where it jerked at. His eyes land on his professor, but he’s surprised that Professor Kim is already drunk, dancing with a few of her students. It isn’t sexual or anything, but even if it is, it's legal, because the professor is barely twenty-nine. “Damn,” he mumbles. “She’s already drunk?”

“Yup,” Sunmi chuckles. “You know how the professor is. Is that all, Hongjoong?”

“How much are the drinks?” he questions.

“They’re free,” Sunmi responds. “It’s our deal for tonight for winning the competition. By the way, the bartender speaks Korean.”

“Alright, thanks,” Hongjoong says, turning to leave, but Sunmi grips his arm. Surprised, Hongjoong turns back around, raising an eyebrow at her. “What?”

Sunmi smirks, and goes up on her tippy toes, licking the shell of Hongjoong’s ear. “Come to room two hundred thirty-two if you want to have a fun time tonight.”

Hongjoong just nods, even though he’s sure he isn’t gonna go to Sunmi’s room. He pulls away from the said female and walks back to his friends.

“The drinks are free for tonight,” he informs. “The bartender speaks Korean, too, so we don’t have to worry about speaking English.”

Yeosang sighs in relief. “Thank god. Let’s get this party on, guys!”

Everyone else cheers, and immediately start partying. They get drink after drink, heading toward the dance floor. The others start getting drunk, whilst Seonghwa stays a bit sober. As he dances with his friends, he notices a familiar silver-haired male dancing with a blue-haired male. At first, Seonghwa doesn’t see anything wrong with it, but then he sees Yoongi grinding back against Jimin, and the male doesn’t mind; he just grabs Yoongi’s hips and helps him grind. Yoongi then turns around and smashes his lips on Jimin’s, the male eagerly kissing back. It isn’t long before they disappear together.

Tears roll down Seonghwa’s face. Jimin had just cheated on him. Sure, they can break up, but Seonghwa's sure Jimin isn’t going to let him. However, Seonghwa knows he can ask the owner of the club if he can use the CCTV, show Jimin that he kissed Yoongi, and kissed _back_. But Seonghwa can do that later. For now, all he wants to do is enjoy the night with his friends.

\--

Hongjoong and Seonghwa stumble inside their hotel room, their lips locked. They can’t keep their hands and lips away from each other, Hongjoong closing and locking the door behind them. If someone asked how they started this, they would say they didn’t know. They probably had too many drinks and ended up grinding against each other. One thing led to another, and here they are.

Hongjoong pushes Seonghwa up against the window of their room. The other good thing about their room—besides that it is fancy and beautiful as hell—is that their window gives them the whole view of New York. It's even more beautiful at night. 

“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this,” Hongjoong whispers, as he places kisses down Seonghwa’s neck, unbuttoning his shirt since his sweater vest is already off.

Seonghwa lets out a moan, entangling his fingers in Hongjoong’s hair. “M-me, too.”

“I’m glad,” he murmurs, sliding Seonghwa’s shirt off his delicate shoulders. Hongjoong continues kissing down Seonghwa’s neck, before lowering down to his collarbone, tweaking his nipples, making him shudder. Hongjoong bites and sucks hickeys into Seonghwa’s tan, soft skin, not caring that everyone can see them tomorrow. He's too drunk to think straight, anyway. 

Hongjoong lowers down, until he reaches Seonghwa’s jeans. He looks up at the older, and Seonghwa nods, letting Hongjoong take off his jeans. Hongjoong unbuttons and unzips the jeans, sliding them off Seonghwa’s legs, as well as the older’s boxers. Seonghwa’s dick leaps out, and Hongjoong doesn’t waste a second before he engulfs his mouth around the leaking genital. He pumps what he doesn’t put in his mouth. Seonghwa’s fingers come down to entangle themselves in his hair. Hongjoong sucks the tip of Seonghwa’s dick, licking the base, and going down until all of Seonghwa’s dick is in his mouth. He sucks, and bobs his head up and down, trying to get Seonghwa to cum. The raven-haired male soon does, letting out a loud moan, as he cums inside Hongjoong’s mouth. The brunette surprisingly swallows all of it, before pulling away, wiping his mouth. He walks toward his suitcase and takes out lube and a condom. He walks back to Seonghwa and kisses him again.

Seonghwa eagerly kisses him back, wrapping his arms around Hongjoong’s neck. Hongjoong hums into the kiss, taking the cap off of the lube bottle. He coats three of his fingers with the lube and pulls away from Seonghwa.

“Think you can turn around for me, doll?” Hongjoong whispers and Seonghwa nods, doing as he was told. He braces his palms against the cool surface of the window, as he feels Hongjoong insert a finger into his hole. Seonghwa lets out a hiss at the coldness, not used to the feeling since the last time he had sex was almost four weeks ago. 

Hongjoong soon puts another finger in, plunging the two digits inside Seonghwa’s hole deeper, stretching him out. Seonghwa continues to moan, already used to it. Taking the sign, Hongjoong inserts the last finger and scissors them around Seonghwa’s hole. 

“J-just put in a-already,” he pants, his fingers sliding down the window, leaving a trail behind. Seonghwa feels Hongjoong nod against his neck, and he pulls away to roll the condom on. He grips Seonghwa’s hips, slowly pushing himself in. Seonghwa lets out a groan, resting his forehead on the window. Hongjoong pushes the rest of himself inside, burying himself deep inside Seonghwa. He waits for a few seconds before he starts moving his hips, grabbing the older’s hands, and pinning his wrists above his head.

Seonghwa continues to moan, as Hongjoong pounds into him from behind. Hongjoong knows from experience at what pace he should go at, and soon starts to go harder, skin slapping sounds filling the room. Neither of them are complaining, though. Hongjoong leaves Seonghwa’s wrists to grip the older’s hips, thrusting into him at a fast pace. Hongjoong realigns himself, and thrusts in deeper and harder, hitting Seonghwa’s prostate hard on.

Seonghwa almost lets out a scream, Hongjoong continuing to abuse his sweet spot. Seonghwa starts feeling overstimulated the more Hongjoong abuses his prostate. He starts to feel heat pool at the pit of his stomach, and it isn’t long before he cums, the white substance going onto the window. Hongjoong isn’t even close to finished, continuing to pound inside Seonghwa. 

“P-please,” he moans, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Be patient, doll,” Hongjoong orders, and Seonghwa lets out a moan, as Hongjoong hits his prostate again. Seonghwa rolls his hips back to help Hongjoong reach his climax, and the younger soon does a few seconds later, cumming inside the condom. The two just stay there for a few more seconds, coming down from their high, panting. That is until Seonghwa speaks up:

“I-I want to ride y-you,” he says.

“Ride me, then,” Hongjoong says, and walks toward his bed, laying down. Seonghwa walks toward him with wobbly legs and straddles his thighs. He aligns his hole with Hongjoong’s cock, and lowers himself down, moaning as he feels Hongjoong’s cock inside of him again. He waits for a few seconds before he starts bouncing. Hongjoong grips his hips, not helping him move this time. Seonghwa’s fingers graze Hongjoong’s toned chest, helping himself move. Seonghwa leans his head back, eyes squeezed shut in pure pleasure. Hongjoong soon helps him move, thrusting his hips up. Seonghwa lets out a scream this time, Hongjoong hitting his prostate. The two continue to move together, helping each other reach their climax. They cum at the same time, Seonghwa cumming onto Hongjoong’s stomach, and the brunette cumming into Seonghwa. The two just sit there for a few moments, coming down from their second high.

“A-another round?” 

Seonghwa nods, letting Hongjoong climb on top of him.

\--

“Did you guys hear Hongjoong and Seonghwa hyung last night?” Yunho snickers, as he sits down next to Yeosang.

“How did we not?” he chuckles, shaking his head. “I’m just glad they’re together.”

“Hey, guys,” a new voice greets. They all look up, surprised to see Jimin. “Have any of you seen Seonghwa?”

“No,” San replies. “Why?”

“I need to talk with him,” Jimin explains. “If you guys can, tell him to meet me at my room later.”

“He can’t,” Mingi says before Jimin can walk away.

The silver-haired male turns around. “Why not?”

Wooyoung shrugs. “He’s going to be busy. You can wait, right, Jimin?”

“Yeah…” he mutters. “Well, see you guys later.” Jimin walks away, leaving the six alone again.

“Damn it, I forgot Jimin and Seonghwa-hyung are still together,” Jongho groans.

“So?” Yunho says.

“Don’t you remember Seonghwa-hyung said he doesn’t want to break up with Jimin?” Jongho reminds. “Hongjoong and Seonghwa hyung can’t be together if Seonghwa-hyung is still with Jimin.”

“Ugh, you’re right,” Yeosang whines. 

“Wait, then that means Seonghwa-hyung cheated on Jimin,” San realizes. “Good for him.”

“How is that good?” Mingi asks.

“Jimin’s done worse to him,” Wooyoung says. “All Seonghwa-hyung’s done is cheat. Jimin almost broke every bone in hyung’s body.”

“Good for Seonghwa-hyung, then,” Jongho agrees. “Serves Jimin right.”

-

This time, Hongjoong is the first one to wake up. His head is pounding, but it isn’t that bad. He's still going to have a hangover, but he can make it go away with aspirin. He doesn’t really remember anything from last night, except going to the club and getting drunk. Hongjoong sighs, starting to sit up, but finds out he can’t, because a head is leaning against his chest.

 _How did I not realize that?_ , he questions himself, looking down at who’s head it belongs to. He’s surprised to see that it is Seonghwa’s head. _Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. We had sex last night?!_ Hongjoong tries to rake his brain to see if he can remember, and remembers getting drunk with Seonghwa, the two soon engulfed in a heated makeout session, but a guard stopped them before their kiss could escalate. They got a taxi, went back to their hotel, and had around…at least seven rounds of pure sex. Now Hongjoong knows why his thighs feel a bit sore. Sighing, Hongjoong looks next to him, noticing all the hickies sprawled across Seonghwa’s neck, collarbones, and chest. Hongjoong lets out a small smirk, but coos at the older’s sleeping face. Seonghwa’s cheeks are always puffed out and his lips are in a small pout when he sleeps, making him look adorable. Hongjoong always hated waking him up.

“Hwa,” Hongjoong whispers, shaking Seonghwa lightly. “Hwa. Hwa, wake up.”

Seonghwa stirs, letting out a groan, but shaking his head. “F-five more minutes…”

“Breakfast’s going to end soon,” Hongjoong reminds.

Seonghwa lets out a small whine. “F-five more minutes…”

Hongjoong chuckles, and ruffles Seonghwa’s hair. “Come on, you sleepyhead. We have a full day ahead of us. It’s our second day in New York, remember?”

Seonghwa lets out a groan. “Y-you’re no fun.”

Hongjoong laughs. “Get up. I’ll be in the bathroom, so you can change.”

Seonghwa just nods, and Hongjoong shakes his head, walking toward the bathroom. Seonghwa’s eyes stay closed for a few more seconds before he remembers Hongjoong said he can change. His eyes opening, Seonghwa sits up quickly, his lower back and ass protesting. His eyes widen.

He and Hongjoong had _sex_ last night.

But not just one round—they had _eight_ rounds last night. No wonder his lower back and ass are sore. Not to mention his head, too. That explains how he let himself get fucked by Hongjoong.

“Damn you, Hongjoong,” Seonghwa curses to himself, covering his body with the bedsheet, and limping toward his suitcase. He unzips it and doesn’t feel like looking nice today. He simply takes out a navy blue turtleneck and black jeans, but then remembers he has to shower. “H-Hongjoong, hurry up! I-I need to shower!”

“Care to join me?!” he calls back, and Seonghwa’s face turns red.

“Sh-shut up,” he grumbles. “J-just hurry up.”

Seonghwa hears Hongjoong laugh, which makes Seonghwa sigh. He wants to sit down, but he’s sure his ass was going to complain. For the next six minutes, he stays there standing until the door is opened, revealing Hongjoong just wearing sweatpants. Seonghwa tries not to stare at the younger’s chest, grabbing his clothes. As Seonghwa zooms past Hongjoong—well, more like quickly limp by him—the brunette lets out a laugh, making Seonghwa glare at him.

“I’ll wait for you downstairs, doll!” he yells, pulling on a shirt.

Seonghwa doesn’t reply, making Hongjoong laugh. Once he has a shirt on and grabs his phone, wallet, and room key, he walks out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Nine minutes later, Seonghwa’s done showering, so he changes into his clothes. He walks out of the bathroom, not surprised that the room is empty. He grabs his phone, wallet, and room key, opening the door of his hotel room. But once it’s opened, he’s surprised that Jimin was just about to knock on the door. Fear rises in Seonghwa, as he remembers he’s not supposed to be around Jimin alone.

“Oh, hey,” he greets. “I was just about to knock.”

Seonghwa nods, biting his bottom lip nervously. “O-okay. W-what do you want, h-hyung?” The silver-haired male doesn’t reply, though, too busy staring at Seonghwa’s lips. “H-hyung?” he calls out, breaking the older out of his thoughts.

“Sorry.” Jimin clears his throat. “We need to talk.”

“U-um…I’m actually late,” Seonghwa partially lies.

“Late for what?” Jimin asks, leaning against the doorframe.

“F-for…a meeting.”

“This is your second day in New York,” Jimin states, getting up from the doorframe, and glaring at Seonghwa. “Are you lying to me?”

“N-no!” he exclaims. “I-I would never do that to you.”

“Step aside,” Jimin orders.

“H-hyung-”

_“Now.”_

Seonghwa whimpers, but does as he’s told, letting Jimin inside. The older one walks in, and notices that only Hongjoong’s bed is undone, and Seonghwa’s isn’t. Though Seonghwa _does_ love to clean, so maybe he already made his bed. But then, Jimin sees all the clothes on the floor and realizes Hongjoong and Seonghwa had sex.

“Why did you cheat on me?” 

“I-I didn’t cheat on y-you,” Seonghwa lies.

Jimin glares at Seonghwa, gripping the collar of his sweatshirt. “Don’t you lie to me. Did you have sex with Hongjoong?”

Seonghwa shakes his head.

**

He’s greeted with a slap across his face.

“Did. You. Have. Sex. With. Hongjoong?” Jimin repeats more sternly.

Seonghwa nods this time, tears already rolling down his face. But he isn’t going out without a fight. He needs to be brave. “I-I did, b-but only because you’ve been abusing m-me. Y-you cheated on me, t-too.”

“That does not give you a reason to cheat on me,” Jimin scowls, and knees Seonghwa’s stomach. 

“I-I know, a-and I’m s-sorry,” he says, finally submitting, falling to the ground.

“No, you’re not,” Jimin snarls. He grips Seonghwa’s hair, pulling him up. “You’re coming with me, and you’re going to behave. Got it?”

Seonghwa can just nod.

\--

“Are you sure Seonghwa-hyung is coming?” Yunho asks as he and the others finish eating their breakfast. 

“Yeah,” Hongjoong mutters. “He was just showering.”

“Maybe he’s caught up with something,” Yeosang says. 

“Wait, where’s Jimin?” San questions, as he looks around the room. “He’s not with his friends.”

Hongjoong, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho look at each other with wide eyes, before they immediately get up, practically sprinting toward Jimin’s friends.

“H-hey, have you guys seen Jimin?” Mingi says.

“Why are you asking?” Namjoon inquires.

“Just answer the question,” Wooyoung says, a bit desperately. 

“He said he was going to talk with Seonghwa,” Jin replies. “Why?”

“Fuck,” the other seven curse, instead of answering Jin. They quickly rush toward the elevator and repeatedly hit the up button. 

“Maybe we should take the stairs,” Jongho suggests.

“You do that,” Hongjoong mumbles. “You’re better at cardio than any of us are.”

Jongho nods, and he heads toward the stairs. The elevator doors soon open, and the six walk inside. Yunho presses the ninth floor button, and the elevator starts descending after its doors close. They quickly pray that the elevator will hurry up. A few seconds later, they arrive at the ninth floor, knowing Jongho has barely arrived. They run toward Hongjoong’s and Seonghwa’s room, and their hearts drop once they see that the oldest isn’t in the room.

“He’s not here,” Jongho says.

“Do you think Jimin has him?” Yunho asks.

“Probably,” Yeosang mutters. “That bitch is going to pay.”

“Where can he be?” San says.

“If Jimin has his phone, we can track where he is,” Mingi says. “Do we know anyone who can track phones down?”

“Yugyeom-hyung is taking that electronic class,” Wooyoung says. “We can ask him.”

“What room is he in?” Jongho questions.

“Room seven hundred fifty-two,” Wooyoung says.

The six quickly run down the two flights of stairs, not wanting to wait for the elevator. They quickly head toward room seven hundred fifty-two, and once they arrive, Hongjoong rapidly knocks on the door, the six anxiously waiting for the door to open. It does a few seconds later.

“Guys?” Yugyeom sounds confused. “What are you guys doing here?”

“We need your help,” Hongjoong replies.

“Um, come in,” Yugyeom allows, opening the door wider.

The six thank him, walking inside the older’s room, and closing the door behind them. Once they’re inside, they can see Yugyeom’s boyfriend, Bambam, sitting on one of the beds, looking up from his phone once he hears the others’ arrival.

“Hey,” he greets. “What are you guys doing here?”

“We were wondering if Yugyeom-hyung could help us track down a phone,” Yunho explains, and looks at Yugyeom desperately. “Can you, hyung?”

“Um, yeah,” he answers. “Whose phone?”

“Park Jimin’s,” Yeosang says. 

Yugyeom nods, and opens his laptop. “Why do you guys need to track down his phone?”

“Long story,” San says. Yugyeom nods again, knowing the others don’t want to explain. He types a few things on his computer before his eyes light up, and he shows the screen to the others. On the screen is a satellite image of the city, and there is a red dot in the middle, specifically in between the streets in Long Island City and Sunnyside.

“That’s, like, twenty minutes away,” Yugyeom says.

“We can make it there in ten,” Mingi mutters. “Let’s go. Thanks, hyung!”

“You’re welcome,” Yugyeom says, and the six dash out of his and Bambam’s room. The six rush downstairs, heading toward the entrance, but they’re stopped when they hear their professor call them out.

“Guys, where are you going?” she asks.

“We need to go to Long Island City and Sunnyside,” Wooyoung quickly explains.

Professor Kim raises an eyebrow. “Why?” 

“Seonghwa-hyung might be in trouble,” Jongho replies. 

“Why do you say that?” Professor Kim asks.

“We don’t have time to explain,” Hongjoong says. “We’ll explain later.” With that, the six don’t let Professor Kim tell them anything else before they rush out of the hotel. They immediately get into a taxi and tell the driver to step on it. She’s a bit confused, but eagerly complies.

(however, she doesn’t ignore the stoplights and signs.)

As said, they arrive in Long Island City and Sunnyside ten minutes later, and pay the driver, before getting out of the taxi.

“Where can Seonghwa-hyung be?” Yunho mutters.

“He’s probably in an alleyway or something,” Yeosang says. “Let’s split up, and call each other if we find Seonghwa-hyung.”

“W-what if we don’t?” Mingi hesitantly questions.

“Then we call the police,” Wooyoung immediately replies. “Let’s go.”

The seven then split up. Hongjoong goes with Yeosang and Jongho, Yunho and Mingi go together, as well as San and Wooyoung. They quickly search the streets and start giving up hope, as the minutes fly by.

“I don’t think he’s here, hyungs,” Jongho says eight minutes later. 

“He _has_ to be here,” Hongjoong says. “God, this is all my fault. If I hadn’t left him alone, we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

“Hey, it’s not your fault, hyung,” Yeosang says. “It’s Jimin’s. I don’t care what Seonghwa-hyung says, but I’m sending that son of a bitch’s ass to jail.”

Hongjoong, Yeosang, and Jongho then continue walking, not wanting to give up hope just yet. Around eight minutes later, they pass by an alleyway. At first, they don’t think anything about it, since they’ve already searched there, but then they hear a whimper that sounds similar to Seonghwa’s. They don’t waste a second before running inside the alleyway.

“Seonghwa-hyung!” Jongho exclaims, relieved, as he hurries to Seonghwa’s aid.

“Oh, god, what happened to you?” Hongjoong asks. Seonghwa has blood running down from everywhere, and his hands are on his stomach as if he's trying to hide or cover something. Yeosang notices, and carefully pulls Seonghwa’s hands away, gasping once he sees blood oozing out of a bullet wound.

“G-guys, call the ambulance!” he yells. “Seonghwa-hyung’s been shot!”

“Fuck,” Jongho curses, as he hurriedly takes out his phone.

“You’re going to be okay, Hwa,” Hongjoong consoles, as he cradles Seonghwa’s head against his chest, tears already rolling down his face.

“H-H-Hongjoong,” Seonghwa says weakly.

“Don’t talk, Hwa,” Hongjoong whispers.

Seonghwa shakes his head meekly. “J-Jimin…h-he’s s-still o-out th-there. H-he…h-he…”

“Shh,” Hongjoong says softly, pressing a soft kiss on top of Seonghwa’s hair. “You’re going to be okay, Hwa. Trust me.”

\--

The next time Seonghwa wakes up, he wakes up to blinding white lights glaring back at him. He winces at the brightness, and the throbbing from his head and from everywhere in his body. From the sounds and machines connected to him, Seonghwa knows he’s in the hospital. He just doesn’t know why. Looking around, he notices a familiar brown-haired male sitting on one of the chairs. His head is leaning against the wall, and he's sleeping. Seonghwa lets out a soft smile once he recognizes the brunette to be Hongjoong. _He looks so cute sleeping. I wish I could take a picture._

The door soon opens, though, snapping Seonghwa out of his thoughts. A Korean male doctor walks in, surprised that Seonghwa’s awake.

“You’re awake,” the doctor says. “Hello, Seonghwa. My name is Dr. Min, and I’ve been your doctor for the last five days.”

“Five days?!” Seonghwa exclaims, his jaw dropping. “W-what happened to me?”

“You had a lot of injuries, and you were shot,” Dr. Min explains, checking Seonghwa’s vitals. “You lost a lot of blood, but luckily you’re still alive. You also had…signs of rape and abuse. You had…semen inside of you.”

“W-who would do that to me?” Seonghwa frowns.

“We don’t know,” Dr. Min sighs. “We have the police working on it, but they haven’t figured out who it is yet. Do you remember?” Seonghwa shakes his head. “Ah, right, I forgot. You also have a mild case of amnesia, but it’ll go away in eight days.”

“W-what happened to me?” he mutters to himself.

“Is he your boyfriend?” Dr. Kim asks, motioning to Hongjoong.

Seonghwa’s face heats up, and he shyly shakes his head. “N-no. I-I have a boyfriend already.”

Dr. Min nods. “That’s a bummer. He insisted to stay here, even when we told him visiting hours were over. You know, I’d break up with your boyfriend if I were you. He’s not here.”

“I like him,” Seonghwa admits. “Always have. I don’t know why I got a boyfriend.”

“Maybe it was to get over your feelings of him,” Dr. Min suggests, letting out a small shrug. “I’ve been there. Well, you seem good, and you should be released from the hospital in two days. You also have a broken wrist, a black eye, many bruises, and a sprained ankle. I recommend that you’re on bed rest until your bullet wound gets better, and you’re going to be using crutches or a wheelchair until your ankle is better. I assume you live back in Korea…?”

Seonghwa nods. “My class just came here to celebrate winning a competition. None of us expected this to happen.”

“Well, I’m sorry,” Dr. Min frowns. “You can also go to the doctor in Korea to check on your injuries. I’ll send your files over there, okay?”

Seonghwa nods again. “Thanks, Dr. Min.”

“You’re welcome.” He smiles, walking toward the door. “Rest well, Seonghwa.”

\--

Three hours later, Seonghwa wakes up again, and this time, he isn’t alone. Guessing by the sunlight peering into the room, it’s morning already.

“Hyung, you’re awake!” he hears a familiar voice exclaim, and he looks toward the owner of the voice, seeing that it is Yunho who talked.

“Hi,” Seonghwa greets. 

“Hyung!” they all squeal in unison, rushing over to hug Seonghwa. They’re careful of his injuries but still hug him tightly.

“Oh, w-we thought you were d-dead,” Yeosang says, his voice cracking, as his eyes glisten with tears. “W-when Jongho, Hongjoong-hyung, and I saw you in that alleyway…I thought you were doing to d-die, hyung.”

“Well, I’m not,” Seonghwa says. “W-who did this to me?”

“That son of a bitch did,” San scowls. “I swear, if he was there, I would’ve broken every bone in his body to show him who he’s messing with.”

“Which ‘son of a bitch’?” Seonghwa asks.

“Jimin,” Mingi replies. “You don’t remember, hyung?”

“He has amnesia, too, remember, pabo?” Wooyoung grumbles.

“Oh.”

“The police are still looking for that coward,” Jongho continues. “I just hope they find him soon.”

“J-Jimin did this?” Seonghwa whispers, not believing it.

“Yeah,” Yunho confirms. “I’d kill him if I could.”

“Me, too,” Seonghwa mutters. “By the way, where’s Hongjoong?”

“He went to get us breakfast,” Yeosang explains. “Speaking of which, he should be here by now.”

Almost as if on cue, the door is opened, the familiar male appearing. But what Seonghwa notices is different about him is that his hair is black now, instead of brown.

“When did you dye your hair?” San asks.

“An hour before you guys got here,” Hongjoong replies. “I have your guys’ breakfast.”

“Yay!” Mingi squeals, grabbing the bags from Hongjoong. “Thanks, hyung!”

The now raven-haired male nods, his gaze from Mingi darting toward Seonghwa. The two lock eyes and Hongjoong softly smiles at the older. “Hey.”

“H-hey,” he returns.

Wooyoung nudges Jongho, making him nudge the rest. They all look at Wooyoung, and he motions toward Hongjoong and Seonghwa, before motioning they should leave them alone. The others unsurprisingly agree.

“We’ll leave you two alone,” Wooyoung says before he and the others leave Seonghwa’s hospital room.

“How are you feeling?” Hongjoong questions, handing another bag to Seonghwa.

“W-what’s this?” he says, looking inside, instead of answering Hongjoong’s question.

“Your breakfast,” he answers. “How are you feeling?” 

“O-oh, well, fine, I guess,” Seonghwa says. “I-I’m mostly on painkillers, so I can’t feel that much pain. Th-thanks, by the way, for the food, and for, um, rescuing me in the alleyway. I-if it wasn’t for you. I’d be dead by now.”

“Yeosang and Jongho were the ones that found you,” Hongjoong partially lies. He just didn’t include the part where he found Seonghwa, too.

“I-I know you’re lying, Hongjoong,” he sighs. 

Hongjoong sighs and tears build up in his eyes. “If I hadn’t…” He takes a deep breath, trying to fight back his tears. “If I hadn’t…left you alone, you wouldn’t be here. God, I’m so stupid. I-I’m so sorry, h-hyung.”

Seonghwa feels his heart break by how vulnerable and sad Hongjoong sounds. “J-Joong, you know you don’t have to call me hyung. I-it wasn’t your fault, either. I-I don’t really remember what happened, but I know it wasn’t your fault. D-don’t blame yourself for what happened.”

“I-it _was_ my fault,” Hongjoong insists, letting his tears fall. “I-if only I waited for you, you wouldn’t be here. Y-you wouldn’t have been abused, y-you wouldn’t have been _raped_ , a-and you wouldn’t be here, l-laying in this stupid hospital bed. I-I’m sorry, S-Seonghwa.”

“H-hey,” he says softly, grabbing Hongjoong’s hand. The ravenette tries to pull away, but Seonghwa doesn’t let him go. “Listen to me, Kim Hongjoong. What happened to me wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know Jimin was going to come to my room. _None_ of us knew, so don’t blame yourself. It wasn’t your fault, okay? It wasn’t.”

Hongjoong just nods, even though Seonghwa knows he still thinks it’s his fault. Letting out a small sigh, Seonghwa places the bag on the table next to him, and moves to the side, despite his body’s protests. He pats the empty space. “C-come,” he tells Hongjoong.

The younger shakes his head. “I-I might disconnect your machines, or harm you.”

“Y-you won’t,” Seonghwa assures. Hongjoong’s a bit hesitant, but finally lays down on the bed, Seonghwa pulling him into his arms. “Thank you for rescuing me,” he whispers.

“I-it wasn’t just me-”

“God, Hongjoong, just let me thank you!” Seonghwa giggles.

Hongjoong lets out a small smile, and looks up at Seonghwa. “Fine. You’re welcome, then.”


	15. Trauma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: rape scenes and abuse. it’ll be in italics when it starts since it’s seonghwa’s memory

“How is he?” Professor Kim asks as she rushes toward where Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho are. “Is he okay? Is he still alive?”

“He’s fine, Professor,” Yunho assures. “He’s going to be released in two days.”

Professor Kim sighs in relief. “Oh, thank god. I called his parents, and I’m sure they would’ve sued me if he was dead. They’re on the plane right now. W-who did this to him?”

Yeosang sighs, trying not to get angry at even _thinking_ about _his_ name. “Park Jimin.”

Professor Kim’s eyes widen. “J-Jimin? W-why would he do this?”

“He’s sick in the head,” San frowns, crossing his arms. “The police are looking for him, since he abused, raped, and tried to kill Seonghwa-hyung by shooting him.”

“Oh my god, I can’t believe he was one of my students,” Professor Kim mutters, as she sits down, so she won’t faint.

“We didn’t expect it, either,” Mingi agrees. “Jimin used to be our childhood friend, but now he’s our worse enemy.”

“D-do you guys know why he would do this?” Professor Kim questions.

Wooyoung shakes his head. “It’s either he’s psycho, or Seonghwa-hyung, Yeosang, San, and Mingi did something bad to him in the past, which I doubt they did.”

“I just hope the police catch him before he finds out Seonghwa’s still alive,” Jongho says. “They also have the FBI on this case, too. They told us, by the looks of it, Jimin wanted to kill Seonghwa, but by some miracle, hyung luckily survived.”

“What am I going to tell Jimin’s parents?” Professor Kim mumbles. 

“Nothing,” Yunho replies. “Let them find out by themselves. You’re not responsible for Jimin, Professor.”

“I am,” she reminds. “I’m his damn _professor_. You know, I used to study criminology, and I was training to be in the B.A.U. of the FBI. I should’ve seen this coming.”

“It’s not your fault, Professor Kim,” Yeosang says. “The good thing is the police and the FBI are trying to catch Jimin.”

“Do you think he’ll come back?” Professor Kim asks.

“Hopefully, he won't.”

\--

“Hey, Hongjoong, right?” Dr. Min says as he catches the younger walking toward Seonghwa’s room.

“Um, yeah,” Hongjoong replies. “Is everything okay, doctor?”

“Everything’s fine,” he reassures. “I just need to talk to you.”

“Okay…” Hongjoong says slowly. 

“Seonghwa has amnesia,” Dr. Min starts, “but it’s going to go away in eight days. When it’s the eighth day, I don’t know at what exact time Seonghwa will get his memory back, but he will at some point. When that happens, you need to be prepared for a possibly horrible anxiety, panic, and mental breakdown. Seonghwa’s going to remember everything Jimin did to him, so he’s going to be traumatized. I suggest taking him to a therapist to help, but I also made a prescription for him. It’ll be transferred to Korea when you guys go back.”

Hongjoong nods, digesting everything the doctor told him. “A-alright. Thanks, doctor.”

Dr. Min nods this time. “Good luck.”

Hongjoong thanks him again, before walking inside Seonghwa’s room. The said male is watching the TV, specifically _The Fairy OddParents_. Hongjoong lets out a chuckle, shaking his head, as he closes the door behind him. “I brought your food,” he announces, holding up the bag.

“Food!” Seonghwa squeals, his eyes lighting up. Hongjoong hands him the bag, and Seonghwa thanks him, immediately opening the bag. But he doesn’t fail to notice Hongjoong doesn’t have a takeout bag for himself. “W-what about you?”

“What about me?” he questions.

“W-where’s your food?” Seonghwa clarifies.

“I…I already ate,” Hongjoong lies. He didn’t want Seonghwa to wait any longer just because of him. Seonghwa’s already in a lot of problems, because of Hongjoong.

“N-no, you didn’t,” Seonghwa frowns. “W-why haven’t you eaten?”

“Seonghwa, I’m fine,” Hongjoong says. “I’m not hungry.”

“Y-yes, you are,” Seonghwa accuses. “C-come here.”

“Seonghwa, I’m fine,” Hongjoong repeats. “Just eat.”

“Kim Hongjoong, if you’re not by my side in the next _five seconds_ -”

“Alright, alright!” he exclaims, not wanting to get Seonghwa angry. Hongjoong stands by the older’s side, but Seonghwa pulls him down to sit on the bed. “Geez, you’re so stubborn.”

“Y-you love me.” Seonghwa smiles sheepishly, and shoves a spoonful of food inside Hongjoong’s mouth.

“A warning would be nice,” he grumbles, “but yes I do.”

Seonghwa’s face immediately turns red, not knowing why he had said that to Hongjoong. He and the ravenette continue watching _The Fairy OddParents_ until they’re both done with their food. Hongjoong throws away the trash, walking back to Seonghwa’s bed.

“W-where are the kids?” he asks, as Hongjoong engulfs him in his arms.

“They’re talking with the FBI,” he explains. “Apparently, the FBI needs them to explain some things, and Jimin’s features to a sketch artist.”

Seonghwa hums in response. “I-I just wish they find Jimin soon.”

“Me, too, Hwa,” Hongjoong whispers, pressing a light kiss on the older’s forehead.

\--

The next day, Hongjoong wakes up in Seonghwa’s bed—the doctors gave up on insisting he shouldn’t, especially with Seonghwa’s stubbornness—but he’s alone. He starts to panic, thinking Jimin broke into the room and stole Seonghwa. Hongjoong quickly pulls on his shoes, walking out of the room. He sighs in relief once he sees Seonghwa in a wheelchair, getting pushed by his mom, whilst his dad rolls the machine with Seonghwa’s I.V. 

“Oh, thank god you’re here,” Hongjoong says, as he quickly runs toward Seonghwa. “I thought Jimin had captured you.”

The older giggles. “W-well, thankfully he didn’t. Mom, Dad, this is Kim Hongjoong…”

“We’re still working on our relationship,” he fills in for Seonghwa, making him turn red. Hongjoong sticks out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Park.”

“Please, just call us mom and dad,” Seonghwa’s mom allows, shaking Hongjoong’s hand. “I don’t know how to thank you for finding my son.”

“I wasn’t the only one,” Hongjoong says. “Yeosang and Jongho found Seonghwa, too.”

“Yes, but we heard you stayed with him the most,” Seonghwa’s father says. “You really care about my son, Hongjoong.”

“I-I do,” he agrees, a small smile on his face.

“You know, if you want permission to date my son, I’ll give it to you,” Seonghwa’s mom chuckles. “You two would make such a cute couple.”

 _“Mom,”_ Seonghwa hisses in a warning tone, his face beet red.

Seonghwa’s mom laughs. “Sorry, sweetie.” The four walk back inside Seonghwa’s room, helping Seonghwa onto the bed. Hongjoong and Seonghwa continue talking with Seonghwa’s parents, conversation flowing smoothly between them. They talk for at least seventeen minutes, before a wild Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho appear, looking relieved and ecstatic.

“Is everything okay?” Seonghwa’s dad asks.

“Th-they found Jimin!” Yunho informs, a bright smile on his face. 

The other four’s eyes widen. 

“W-where did they find him?” Hongjoong asks, being the first one to get out of his shock.

“His friends were helping hide him,” Yeosang explains. “They didn’t know Jimin almost killed Seonghwa-hyung, so they’re not in trouble. They’re all at the police station, and all of them except Jimin want to apologize to Seonghwa-hyung.”

“I don’t that’s going to be possible,” a new voice says, and they all look at the owner, seeing Dr. Min.

“Why not?” Seonghwa’s mom questions. 

“Seonghwa still has amnesia,” Dr. Min reminds. “The eight days have to pass, and if he goes see Jimin, his memories might return, and what he’ll go through will be hell. He might even die from stress and fear.”

Seonghwa frowns. “I-it’s that bad?” 

Dr. Min sighs with a frown as well. “I’m sorry, Seonghwa. The good news, I guess, is you can see him after your amnesia goes away, and you’re ready to confront Jimin.”

“We’ll be back in Korea, though,” San mutters. “Jimin’s going to be staying here, isn’t he?”

“It’s up to his parents whether they want him to stay here, or go back to Korea,” Dr. Min says. “So, please don’t take Seonghwa anywhere near Jimin, or somewhere that reminds him of Jimin. It’s for his health.”

“W-we won’t,” Mingi assures.

“He’ll also have to have a break from school,” Dr. Min continues. “I’ll write up a doctor’s note, just in case.”

“Thanks, doctor,” Seonghwa’s dad says before the male can leave.

“Guess you’re coming back to the house,” Seonghwa’s mom says, a small smile on her face. “We left your room just the way it was, in case you ever decided to come back.”

Seonghwa smiles. “Thanks. But if you don’t mind…I kinda wanna go to sleep.”

“It’s barely nine fifty-two in the morning, though,” Wooyoung mutters, making Jongho elbow his stomach.

“We’ll leave you alone, then,” Jongho says. “Rest well, hyung.”

Seonghwa nods, letting out a yawn. “Bye, guys.” The rest start to leave, but Hongjoong’s called back by Seonghwa. “J-Joong…can you stay?” 

“I thought you wanted us all to go,” Hongjoong says.

Seonghwa shakes his head. “Please?”

Hongjoong nods, and walks to Seonghwa’s bed. He lays down on the empty space Seonghwa left for him and engulfs the older into his arms. Seonghwa hums happily, snuggling into Hongjoong’s chest. It isn’t long before he falls asleep.

\--

For the rest of the day, Seonghwa has his friends and parents—the people he feels more comfortable and happiest with—stay with him. They leave when the visiting hours are over, except for Hongjoong, who’s allowed to stay after hours. He doesn’t want to harm Seonghwa accidentally in their sleep, so Hongjoong makes a small bed in the five chairs in the room. Seonghwa stares at him with a frown, but Hongjoong assures him it's okay. Reluctantly, Seonghwa falls asleep, Hongjoong following soon after. The next day, Seonghwa is finally released from the hospital. His parents bring a wheelchair to take him in, and they sign the papers for his release. They go back to the hotel, where Professor Kim and a few other students are waiting. They have ‘get well soon!’ balloons, as well as other gifts. They give them to Seonghwa, who thanks them.

“Where’s your stuff?” his dad asks, leaving him in the lobby.

“It’s in my room,” he replies. Hongjoong hands Seonghwa’s father the room key. The others start to leave, but Hongjoong knows to stay with Seonghwa. “H-hey, you haven’t talked with your parents in a while.”

“They haven’t called.” Hongjoong lets out a small shrug, as he sits down on one of the seats, pulling Seonghwa’s wheelchair toward him. “You know, Hwa…we _can_ be a couple if you want us to be.”

“I-I think we should wait until my amnesia is over,” he says. “I-I still don’t remember much yet, except who you guys are. I-it wouldn’t be fair to you if I didn’t know what was happening.”

Hongjoong nods, grabbing Seonghwa’s hand, and softly pressing a kiss on his knuckles. “Whenever you’re ready, Hwa.”

The older smiles, his cheeks heating up at the small gesture Hongjoong gave him. Seonghwa wants to say something, but he’s interrupted when six new people come up to them.

“Hey,” Namjoon greets. “H-how are you feeling, Seongwha?”

“I’m…feeling fine, I guess,” he answers. “Why?”

“We’re…really sorry for what Jimin did to you,” Jin says. “W-we didn’t know what his plans were.”

“I’m sorry, too,” Yoongi speaks up, guilt written all over his face. “I…I didn’t even know Jimin and you were dating. I’m really sorry, Seonghwa.”

“How did you not know?” Hongjoong asks, raising an eyebrow. “Everyone did. How come you didn’t?”

“Hongjoong,” Seonghwa says in a warning tone.

“I-I don’t really believe much of the gossip that goes around c-campus,” Yoongi explains. “Th-though it didn’t occur to me ask Jimin or Seonghwa if it was true, so that’s my f-fault. I-I’m sorry.” He bows his head down in shame.

“It’s fine, hyung,” Seonghwa sighs. “We all make mistakes, right?”

Yoongi looks up in surprise, a few tears rolling down his face. “Y-you forgive me?”

Seonghwa nods. “Y-yeah. We all make mistakes.”

A small smile grows on Yoongi’s face. “Y-yeah.”

“I-if you ever need anything, here’s our number,” Hoseok says, handing Seonghwa a piece of paper. “Take it as an…apology for what Jimin did to you.”

“Hyungs, it wasn’t your fault,” Seonghwa reminds.

“W-we still feel guilty,” Taehyung frowns. “H-he was our ‘friend’, and we didn’t see it.”

“W-we didn’t even bother to ask why he wanted us to hide him,” Jeongguk adds. He bows half of his body down. “We’re really sorry.”

Seonghwa sighs. “It’s fine, hyungs. Besides, I don’t really remember much of what happened, so don’t worry.”

Namjoon nods. “We’re really sorry, again. Hope you can get better soon, Seonghwa.”

“Thanks.” He smiles at them, and the six bow at him, before they walk away.

“That was weird,” Hongjoong mutters.

“Th-they were just being nice, Hongjoong,” Seonghwa says. He looks down at the piece of paper Hoseok gave him, seeing their phone numbers written down. Seonghwa sighs, putting the paper in his pocket.

“What if they weren’t?” Hongjoong says pointedly.

Seonghwa rolls his eyes. “Th-they were being _nice_ , Hongjoong. W-wouldn’t you have done the same if any of us did what Jimin did?”

Hongjoong sighs in defeat. “I guess…”

Soon, everyone else comes back with Seonghwa’s stuff, and they start heading toward the airport. Seonghwa’s parents have to buy their return tickets, but Professor Kim hands the eight their return tickets since it comes with the winning package. They head toward the airport and board a plane back to Korea.

\--

“And we’re home!” Seonghwa’s mom announces, as she pushes open the front door, Seonghwa’s dad pushing Seonghwa in.

“Wow,” he says, looking around in amazement. “Nothing really changed.”

“Of course,” his father says, closing and locking the door behind them. “You know how your mother is.”

Seonghwa giggles. “Yes, I do. By the way, how am I going to get upstairs?”

“Oh, we didn’t think of that,” his mom mutters.

“Do you want us to carry you?” his dad offers.

“No, that’s fine,” Seonghwa assures. “I can just sleep in the guest bedroom downstairs.”

“Alright,” his mom mumbles, sounding a bit unsure. “You took a shower at the hotel, right?”

Seonghwa’s father sighs, rolling his eyes. “No, honey. We only got his stuff and left, remember?”

“Ah, right,” Seonghwa’s mother murmurs, rolling her eyes at herself. “Do you wanna shower, sweetie?”

“I’m basically covered in medicine, so yes, please,” Seonghwa replies. “Wait…you’re letting me shower by myself?”

“No, you need help,” his father reminds. “Who do you feel more comfortable showering with?”

“Honestly, since I’m twenty already, neither of you,” Seonghwa hesitantly admits, “but…I guess mom can shower me.”

Seonghwa knows his father tries to hide it, but he can hear the sigh of relief that comes out of his father’s mouth. Seonghwa’s mom nudges her husband.

“Alright, can you roll yourself into the bathroom?” she asks.

Seonghwa nods.

“Okay, I’m going to get your clothes, so undress, whilst you wait,” his mom says, and Seonghwa nods again, rolling himself in the bathroom. He waits for his mom in there, as he starts to undress. He tries to get up to get inside the tub, but almost ends up slipping and breaking his leg, so he decides to just sit in the wheelchair to wait for his mom. She arrives a minute later, closing the door behind her. “Ready?”

“Y-yeah,” Seonghwa replies. His mom holds out her hand, and Seonghwa grabs it, whilst holding onto the wall, as he pulls himself up. His mom helps him get into the tub without almost breaking his leg, and he just stands there, until his mom brings a stool for him to sit on. His mom turns on the water, putting it at the right temperature. As they wait for the water to heat up, Seonghwa hears his mom let out a sniffle. “Why are you crying, mom?”

“It’s just…” The female takes a deep breath, wiping her tears away. “I-it’s just been so long ever since I showered you. The last time I did was when you were six, and that was fourteen years ago. Now look, you’re twenty, and all grown up.”

Seonghwa softly smiles. “Mom, it’s not like I’m going to die.”

“You almost did,” she reminds. “I-I don’t know what I would’ve done if you did die. I love you, sweetie.”

“I love you, too, mom,” Seonghwa returns. “Now stop crying, or else you’re going to make me cry.”

His mom laughs, wiping the remaining of her tears away. “S-sorry. I just get emotional a lot.”

“I know,” Seonghwa chuckles. “I got that from you.”

“Twinsies,” his mom drawls, and Seonghwa giggles. His mom wets his hair, and turns the water off to start putting conditioner and shampoo in his hair. “So, Hongjoong, huh?”

“Mom,” Seonghwa whines in embarrassment.

“What?” she says. “I’m just saying. Do you like him?”

“I don’t know…” Seonghwa sighs. “I just know who everyone is—what my relationship is with them. I don’t know about my feelings about them.”

“Oh, right, sorry,” his mom apologizes. “But he’s pretty cute, huh? I saw the way you looked at him. Hell, I even saw the way _he_ looked at _you_.”

“W-what do you mean?” he quietly asks.

“He basically looked at you with hearts in his eyes, sweetie,” his mom chuckles. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was just staring at you for a bit too long. If he suddenly wants your hand in marriage, I’d let him have it.”

“Mom!”

“I’m just telling the truth,” she says. “But I’m not saying you have to date right now. Especially after…”

“I know,” Seonghwa sighs. “I told Hongjoong I don’t want to date him just yet, and he understood. He told me he was going to wait for me.”

“Aww,” Seonghwa’s mom coos. “That’s so cute!”

“You think everything is cute about me, mom.”

“That’s because you’re Park Seonghwa, and I made you.”

“Whatever you say.”

\--

For the next few days, Seonghwa stays at his parents’ house. He's ordered to not go to school by the doctor for seven weeks, or until at least his bullet wound gets better. He did ask if it's okay if he does his schoolwork at home, and the doctor said it is. Every day, one of his friends would bring him his homework, and all of them would come visit him every day. Though Hongjoong always stays the longest, but that means Seonghwa’s parents embarrass him even more.

“Look, he was so cute as a baby,” his mom gushes, as she shows Hongjoong Seonghwa’s baby pictures.

“Aww.” Hongjoong smiles, admiring how cute Seonghwa looked like a baby. He never really got to know anything from when Seonghwa was a baby, let alone that he was the most adorable baby Hongjoong ever laid on eyes on.

(seonghwa is also the prettiest person hongjoong laid eyes on, but seonghwa doesn’t need to know that.)

(yet.)

“Mom,” he whines in embarrassment, as he catches his mom and Hongjoong. “Can you stop embarrassing me? Put those pictures away.”

“As your mother, it is my job to embarrass you, sweetie,” his mom says, a proud smile on her face.

“I can relate,” Hongjoong chuckles. “My mom is the same. I bet if I took you to my house right now, Hwa, my mom would show you _all_ of my baby pictures. Even the ones I didn’t know about.”

Seonghwa’s mom’s eyes light up. “Ooh, great idea!”

“Mom, don’t you dare,” Seonghwa warns, glaring at her.

“I won’t,” she sighs. But once Seonghwa looks away, she winks at Hongjoong, making him chuckle.

“Also, I need to talk to you,” he tells Seonghwa’s mom.

“Ooh, about what?” she asks. Hongjoong motions toward Seonghwa. His mom gets it, and leads Hongjoong into the kitchen, where Seonghwa can’t hear them. “What’s wrong, Hongjoong?”

“Back in New York, the doctor told me something,” he starts. “He said Seonghwa’s amnesia would last for eight days, and the eighth day is tomorrow. The doctor said that we have to be prepared for a possibly horrible anxiety, panic, and mental breakdown. Seonghwa’s going to go through a lot of trauma, and he might need a therapist.”

Seonghwa’s mom’s eyes glisten with tears, but she doesn’t let them fall. “A-alright. I’ll speak to Seonghwa’s father about it.”

Hongjoong nods. “I’m really sorry I had to tell you, Mrs. Park. I-I just thought you should know.”

Seonghwa’s mom nods. “R-right. I…I need to call my husband.”

Hongjoong nods again, watching Seonghwa’s mom walk away.

\--

Five hours later, it is ten fourty-six p.m., and unsurprisingly, Hongjoong is still over at Seonghwa’s place. The others came earlier, but they left around an hour ago. Hongjoong planned on leaving, too—he couldn’t just bother Seonghwa’s parents forever—when Seonghwa’s dad stopped him, telling him to stay until Seonghwa falls asleep. Hongjoong did, and currently, he's watching Seonghwa. The older is in his arms, his head laying on his chest, with Hongjoong’s arms around Seonghwa’s waist. The older is breathing peacefully, not a sign of pain on his face. Hongjoong is a bit relieved of that, but sadly, he has to pull away. He agreed to meet Seonghwa’s parents downstairs. Hongjoong slowly and carefully pulls his arms away from Seonghwa, replacing his body with a pillow. Thankfully, Seonghwa hugs the pillow, still asleep. Hongjoong walks out of the older’s room and walks toward the kitchen.

“You guys wanted to see me?” he asks, seeing Seonghwa’s parents sitting at the kitchen island.

“Yeah.” Seonghwa’s dad nods, patting the empty chair next to him. “Come sit down. You want a cup of coffee?”

“Um, yes, please.” Hongjoong knows he shouldn’t be drinking coffee, especially when he can’t sleep at night, but coffee sounds so good right now. Seonghwa’s dad nods, and slides off his chair to serve Hongjoong his cup.

“Is Seonghwa asleep?” Seonghwa’s mom questions, as Hongjoong sits down in front of her.

“Yeah,” he replies. “Out like a light.”

Seonghwa’s mom softly smiles, placing her cup down. “I’m glad.” 

“Why did you guys want me to stay over?” Hongjoong inquires, as Seonghwa’s dad hands him his cup. Hongjoong thanks him, placing the cup down, and letting it get warm, so he won’t burn his tongue off.

“We need to talk with you,” Seonghwa’s dad starts.

“About what?”

“Seonghwa,” his mom answers.

“What about Seonghwa?”

“You said his amnesia wears off tomorrow,” his dad continues. “You also said he might have a possible anxiety, panic, and mental breakdown. You said we have to be ready for that.”

Hongjoong nods. “Yeah. That’s what the doctor told me. Why? Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine,” Seonghwa’s mom assures. “We just…we’re just not sure if _we’re_ the ones Seonghwa needs for his breakdown.”

Hongjoong tilts his head in confusion. “W-what do you mean?”

“We’re saying _you_ might be the only one who might help him calm down,” Seonghwa’s dad finally explains.

“No offense, but why me?” Hongjoong asks. “Yeosang, San, and Mingi are closer to him. Either one of them can be there for him. Seonghwa and I have only known each other for four years. Yeosang, San, or Mingi are better off being there for Seonghwa.”

“We know that, Hongjoong,” his mom says. “It’s just…Seonghwa’s more attached to you. Haven’t you noticed that?”

“No…”

“Why do you think he always asks _you_ to stay?” Seonghwa’s father says pointedly. 

“I always thought the others probably made fun of him for his baby pictures, and Seonghwa got mad at them…”

His mom shakes her head. “You really are dense at times, Hongjoong.”

“H-how do you know that?” he says.

“Seonghwa used to talk to us about you,” his father explains. “He stopped when he started dating that bastard.”

“Why didn’t you and Seonghwa date, Hongjoong?” Seonghwa’s mom asks.

Hongjoong sighs. “I didn’t… I thought I was straight back then, because of my father. He’s a homophobic bastard, so that made me confused about my feelings. I soon realized I had feelings for Seonghwa, but I was too late because he was already dating that son of a bitch.”

“So, what do you think?” Seonghwa’s mom says, going back to their original subject.

“About what?”

“Do you want to be here for Seonghwa?” his dad clarifies.

Hongjoong nods with no hesitation this time. “Yes.”

\--

It starts the moment Seonghwa wakes up. He wakes up to the warmth of Hongjoong’s chest, and smiles, snuggling closer toward the younger. But then there’s like a light bulb lighting up in his head, and he suddenly remembers everything.

_“Um…hi,” he greeted nervously, his cheeks a bit red, as he walked up to the new boy, Park Jimin. “Y-you’re the new boy, right?”_

_Jimin looked up, locking eyes with Seonghwa. “Y-yeah. M-my name’s Park Jimin.”_

_“Mine is Park Seonghwa,” he returned, a small smile on his face._

_“Hey, it’s like we’re siblings!” Jimin laughed, his eyes turning into beautiful moon crescents._

_Seonghwa laughed along, not failing to notice how_ beautiful _Jimin’s smile is. “Y-yeah. Do you have any friends yet?”_

_Jimin’s smile faltered, and he shook his head. “N-no. No one wants to be my friend.”_

_“Will_ you _be my friend?” Seonghwa asked._

_Jimin looked up at Seonghwa with wide eyes. “Y-you want to be my friend?!”_

_Seonghwa nodded. “Yeah. I was new, too, back in first grade, so I know how you feel, Jimin. Come, I can introduce you to my other friends.” He stuck out his hand, waiting for Jimin to grab it. The older did, letting Seonghwa help him up._

_[abuse]_

_Jimin walked toward the dance classroom, hoping Seonghwa was there. It was nearing eleven p.m., and Seonghwa hadn’t replied to any of his texts. Jimin hoped Seonghwa was okay, but at the same time, he was angry that the younger was ignoring him. He finally arrived at the dance classroom, but stopped in his tracks once he saw Hongjoong and Seonghwa._ Together _. Sure, they weren’t kissing or anything, but they were_ close _. Jimin hated how close they were, and immediately stormed inside._

_“Seonghwa,” he called out, making the younger look at him. “Ready to go?”_

_“Where are we going?” Seonghwa asked. He and Jimin didn’t make any plans to go out, especially since it was almost eleven p.m. Besides, Seonghwa needed to help Hongjoong with TXT’s “Run Away” choreography._

_“To my dorm.” Jimin didn’t bother to lie._

_“Can it wait?” Hongjoong said, raising an eyebrow._

_Jimin shook his head. “Nope,” he replied, popping the p. “Come on, Seonghwa.”_ _The younger sighed. Seonghwa looked at Hongjoong apologetically, before grabbing his stuff. He waved bye to Hongjoong, before walking toward Jimin. The older interlocked their hands, and they started walking toward Jimin’s dorm._ _“Why didn’t you tell me you were with Hongjoong?” he calmly demanded. He was going to lose his temper soon._

_“I thought I didn’t need to,” Seonghwa muttered. “You don’t tell me where you go every time you go out, and I don’t bother to ask. I thought it was going to be the same for both of us.”_

_“Well, you were wrong,” Jimin grumbled. They arrived at his place, and he quickly unlocked the door, pushing it open. He pushed Seonghwa inside, surprising him. Jimin closed and locked the door behind him, looking at Seonghwa with an angry look._

_“H-hyung, what are you going to do?” he asked, gulping as he slowly backed away._

_“Don’t move,” Jimin ordered. Seongwha was quick to obey. “You know I don’t like you spending time with Hongjoong. Why did you?”_

_“H-he’s my friend,” Seonghwa frowned._

_“Well, too bad,” Jimin scowled, and slapped Seonghwa right across the face, leaving a red hand mark on his face._

_“J-Jimin!” he exclaimed, staring at the older in shock. Tears started to blur Seonghwa’s vision._

_“That’s what you get for being a whore,” Jimin snapped, and kicked behind Seonghwa’s knees, sending him to the ground. “And you know what whores get? They get hit.”_

_“H-hyung, stop! P-please!” the younger pleaded._

_“Quiet,” Jimin barked. “If you scream, you’re going to get worse, got it?”_

_Seonghwa could only just nod, squeezing his eyes shut, tears rolling down his face, as he held back screams of pain for the rest of the night._

_[rape]_

_“H-hyung, please let me go,” he begged, as Jimin dragged him somewhere._

_“Are you going to behave?” Jimin quietly snarked. “If you draw attention to us, I’m going to literally kill you. Understood?”_

_“Help!” Seonghwa yelled, despite what Jimin just told him. “Help!” People started looking at him weird since he was yelling ‘help’ in Korean. Jimin smiled at the people passing by, grabbing Seonghwa by the waist, and dragging him inside the empty building. Seonghwa thrashed in Jimin’s hold, but the older was too strong. Finally, Jimin threw Seonghwa on the cold hard floor, making him wince, as his ankle landed wrong. “P-please, hyung, just let me go.”_

_“No,” Jimin said, glaring at Seonghwa. “Don’t you think I know about you and Hongjoong? I saw you two escape the club last night together. Don’t you think I’ve also noticed your hickies? You’re a horrible boyfriend, Seonghwa, and you deserve what’s coming to you.” He then came back from wherever he was, holding a needle. Once Seonghwa saw it, he tried to get up to run away, but his ankle held him back._

_“H-hyung, please,” he begged._

_Jimin slapped Seonghwa across his face. “Shut up. You’re going to be a good boy, got it?” Seonghwa thrashed under Jimin, but the older was strong enough to hold Seonghwa’s knees down and pin his wrists above his head. With his free hand, Jimin dug the needle into Seonghwa’s neck, and soon enough, the male started feeling weak and unconscious._

_“P-please…” he pleaded meekly._

_“I wasn’t going to do this to you, but since you disobeyed me…” Seonghwa didn’t really know what’s going on, but heard the sound of a zipper unzipping. There was some shuffling, and then he felt something hard poke his thigh. He didn’t know what it is, but suddenly, something was shoved inside of him, and Seonghwa let out a scream of pain. Something warm trickled down his thighs, and his conscience told him it was blood._

_For what seemed like the next eleven hours, Jimin kept raping Seonghwa, and once he was done, he came inside the younger, not bothering to clean him up._

“Seonghwa!” a voice exclaims, shaking him. “Seonghwa! Snap out of it! Seonghwa!”

The male is crying, shaking, and screaming, as he remembers what Jimin did to him. He lets out screams, shaking his head. “N-no! G-get him away! Help!”

Hongjoong doesn’t know what to; he’s panicking. He quickly gets up and runs toward Seonghwa’s parents’ bedroom. He doesn’t bother knocking on the door. “G-guys, get up! S-Seonghwa… H-he’s-”

His mom wakes up first, rushing toward her son’s bedroom. His dad wakes up second, and he and Hongjoong run back toward Seonghwa’s room. His mom is cradling him in his arms, but Seonghwa doesn’t stop. Tears are running down his mother’s face, brushing his hair back, as she encounters Seonghwa’s breakdown.

“P-Park, get the needle from the kitchen,” she orders.

“I thought we said-”

“I don’t care what we said!” Seonghwa’s mom exclaims. “Just get the damn thing!”

Seonghwa’s dad doesn’t need to be told a fourth time. He quickly runs outside, grabbing the needle from the kitchen counter. He comes back with it, and Seonghwa’s mom inserts it into her son’s arm. She whispers soothing words into his ears, as he starts to feel weak, falling unconscious.

“We have to take him to the hospital,” Hongjoong mutters.

“Help me with him,” Seonghwa’s mom says, and Hongjoong is quick to rush over.


	16. Problems?

“Family of Park Seonghwa?!” a male doctor calls out, looking around the room.

Seonghwa’s parents and Hongjoong are quick to get up, rushing toward the doctor.

“H-how is he, doc?” Seonghwa’s mom asks.

“Not good,” the doctor replies, sighing. “We identified that he’ll have PTSD for at _least_ three months. His condition isn’t good, and he inflicted pain on his bullet wound, making it a bit worse. But the good news is I got the prescription from the doctor back in New York, and you will be able to pick up the medicine from your pharmacy in a few hours.”

“Oh, my poor baby,” Seonghwa’s mom says, before starting to sob.

“W-when will he be released?” Seonghwa’s dad questions, engulfing his wife into his arms.

“Hopefully tomorrow morning,” the doctor answers. “I’ll also talk to you guys later about Seonghwa’s therapy.”

“W-we thought that was optional,” Hongjoong speaks up.

The doctor shakes his head. “It was, until now. I’m very sorry.”

“Thanks, doc,” Seonghwa’s dad says, and the male nods, before he leaves. “Oh, I’m going to kill that son of a bitch. If I lay my eyes on him, he’s dead.”

“I’m with you,” Hongjoong agrees. 

Seonghwa’s dad nods, and he and his wife get up. “We’re going to be leaving for a bit to help calm her down. Can you stay here, and call us when Seonghwa wakes up?”

Hongjoong nods this time, and Seonghwa’s parents leave. Sighing, Hongjoong takes out his phone, and texts Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho, telling them that Seonghwa’s at the hospital again. Nine minutes later, the elevator doors of the hospital floor are opened, a wild Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho appearing.

“How is he?” Yunho frantically inquires.

“I-is he dead?” Yeosang hesitantly adds.

“He’s still unconscious, but he’s fine, guys,” Hongjoong assures. “The doctor told us he’ll have PTSD for at least three months, and he’s going to need to go to therapy. Seonghwa’s parents just left, because his mom couldn’t stop crying.”

The others nod, sitting down next to Hongjoong, and digesting the information he gave them.

“J-Jimin’s parents decided to leave him in New York,” San mutters. “They didn’t want to be embarrassed by him.”

“If I were them, I’d do the same thing,” Mingi grumbles. “Because of him, Seonghwa-hyung’s in this mess. I wish we never met Jimin.”

“What’s done is done, guys,” Hongjoong says. “For now, we just have to hope Seonghwa will recover, and get the help he needs. But Jimin is getting what he deserves and is spending almost the rest of his life in prison. Even if he gets out, no one will want to be near him since his name and face are all over the news.”

“I don’t even feel bad for him at all,” Wooyoung says, crossing his arms.

“None of us do. He deserved it.”

\--

Around almost three hours later, Seonghwa finally wakes up. At first, he doesn’t remember where he is, but then remembers he has his memories back, and almost has another anxiety, panic, and mental breakdown. Thankfully, the doctors are there when Seonghwa wakes up, so they are able to calm him down.

“Hello,” one of the doctors greets. “My name is Dr. Kim, and I’ve been your doctor for the last few hours. Can you tell me your name?”

“P-Park Seonghwa,” he shakily replies. “D-doc, I’m scared.”

“It’ll all be alright,” he assures. “Your friends are outside, waiting for you to wake up. Do you want me to invite them in?”

Seonghwa feels relieved that his friends are here. “Yes, please.”

Dr. Kim nods, and leaves the room to retrieve Seonghwa’s friends. The seven immediately get inside the room, seeming relieved that Seonghwa is awake. One by one, they hug him, almost sobbing because they thought he was going to die.

“Are you okay now, hyung?” Jongho asks.

“I-I’m getting there,” Seonghwa replies. 

“You almost gave me a heart attack in the morning,” Hongjoong says. “I-I didn’t know what to do.”

“It’s fine, Hongjoong,” Seonghwa says. “Thank you.”

Hongjoong nods. “Y-your parents are going to be here soon. They went to go get you some flowers.”

“H-how are they?” Seonghwa questions.

“They’re…a bit shaken up,” Yunho responds. “But I’m sure they’re fine. You really had us all worried, hyung.”

“Sorry,” Seonghwa apologizes. “I’m really sorry I made you all worry.”

“It’s not your fault, hyung,” Yeosang reminds. “We’re just glad you’re okay.”

“Are you hungry?” San inquires. “We can go get you some food.”

“Um…just a little,” Seonghwa admits. “But you guys don’t have to go get me food. I’ll get it later.”

“We all know by ‘later’ you mean ‘never’,” Mingi says pointedly. “We’ll be back with your food.”

Seonghwa sighs. “Okay. Thanks, guys.”

The rest nod, and start to leave. Hongjoong follows behind them, but Seonghwa calls him back.

“Do you need anything, Hwa?” he asks.

Seonghwa shakes his head, and grabs Hongjoong’s hand, interlocking their fingers. Seonghwa’s eyes glisten with tears, but none of them fall. “Th-thanks for being there for me, Hongjoong. I owe you one or plenty.”

“You don’t,” he assures. “I’m just looking out for you, Hwa. That’s what true friends do, right?”

“Yeah…” Seonghwa mutters, and he stares at the pinky that’s painted on Hongjoong’s left hand. “I just…I just don’t want to be ‘just friends’ anymore, Hongjoong. I want more.”

“What do you want, then?” he questions.

“I want to be with you.” 

“Hwa, you barely got out of a toxic relationship,” Hongjoong reminds. “Are you sure you’re ready for another relationship?”

“I’ve been waiting to get in a relationship with you ever since we met, Hongjoong,” Seonghwa says. “So, yes I’m sure. But if you don’t want to just yet, then I understand.”

“Who says I don’t?” Hongjoong says, raising an eyebrow. “You’ve kept me waiting, Park Seonghwa.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” he says.

“Hey, are you asking me to be your boyfriend?” Hongjoong inquires.

“I guess I am,” Seonghwa giggles. “I always thought it was going to be the other way around, but guess not. Kim Hongjoong, will you be my boyfriend?”

“Of course,” he replies, kissing Seonghwa’s forehead softly. “Let’s just not tell the others, or else we might overwhelm them.”

Seonghwa nods. “Yeah. Hongjoong?”

The raven-haired male looks down at Seonghwa, wondering what's wrong. “Yeah?”

Seonghwa smiles, and finally lets a tear fall from his eyes. He brings Hongjoong’s hand toward his lips, and kisses the younger’s knuckles. “Thank you.”

Hongjoong smiles back. “You’re welcome.”

\--

For the rest of the day, Seonghwa stays in the hospital. His parents go pick up his medicine from the pharmacy, and also set up an appointment with the best therapist they can find. Seonghwa has an appointment in four days, and surprisingly, he's ready to go. Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho stay as long as they can before they eventually have to leave. They hug Seonghwa goodbye before they do. Hongjoong also has to leave soon, despite Seonghwa’s protests. Eventually, Seonghwa lets Hongjoong go home after Hongjoong gives him multiple kisses around his face, promising he’d give him more tomorrow. Seonghwa is then left with his parents, who stay by his side until tomorrow morning. But they are all woken up around four-o-three a.m. when they hear yells and screams.

“N-no!” Seonghwa screams, thrashing around in his bed. “L-let me go! G-get away!”

“Seonghwa!” his mom exclaims, rushing toward him. “Park, call the doctor.”

Seonghwa’s dad is quick to comply, rushing out of the room to call the doctor. Dr. Kim comes back with a few other nurses, and they all help Seonghwa calm down, finally inserting another helpful drug in him, and he eventually falls unconscious.

“I-is this going to happen every night?” his dad asks.

Dr. Kim sighs. “Unfortunately. It’ll stop soon if he continues to take his medicine. Did he start taking it yesterday?”

Seonghwa’s mom nods. “I only gave him two tabs.”

“That’s good,” Dr. Kim assures. “Give him two tabs every day, and his PTSD will go away soon. The therapist will also help him deal with his nightmares, and help him feel calm whilst he’s getting them.”

“Okay,” Seonghwa’s dad says. “Thanks, doc.”

The male nods, bowing before he walks out of the room. Seonghwa’s mom sighs, and her husband engulfs her in his arms.

“I just hope he’s going to be okay,” she mutters, looking at their son.

“He will be,” her husband whispers, kissing her forehead. “He will be.”

\--

Later, around twelve-o-eight p.m., Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho come back. Seonghwa is already awake, eating lunch, and watching _The_ _Octonauts_. But once he hears a knock at the door, he lowers the volume of the TV and lets them enter.

“Hey, hyung,” Yunho greets, as he and the others walk inside the room.

“Hey,” Seonghwa returns. 

“How are you feeling?” Yeosang asks.

“Okay, I guess,” Seonghwa mutters. “Are _you_ guys feeling okay?”

San shrugs. “Sort of. If you call worrying about your health and Jimin 24/7 okay, then yeah, we are.”

Seonghwa chuckles. “You guys want my chicken? It’s kind of dry.”

“Why do you even eat hospital food?” Mingi frowns, taking out his phone. “I’ma order you some food, so you don’t have to eat that sad-looking…thing.”

Seonghwa laughs. “It’s _chicken_ , but thanks, anyway.”

“What are you watching?” Wooyoung questions, looking at the TV. Before Seonghwa has the chance to reply, though, Wooyoung suddenly gasps, his eyes lighting up. “Are you watching _The_ _Octonauts_?! How dare you didn’t invite me?! Move over!”

Seonghwa snickers, but still moves to the side, so Wooyoung can sit down. “I didn’t know you watched _The_ _Octonauts_ , Wooyoung.”

“I do,” he huffs. “It’s an amazing show.”

“You _do_ know it’s meant for kids, right?” Jongho says.

“Shh,” Wooyoung shushes, glaring at the youngest. Jongho shakes his head.

“Hey, where’s Hongjoong?” Seonghwa asks, as he finally notices that Hongjoong is nowhere to be found.

“He said he couldn’t come today,” Yunho explains.

“Why?” Seonghwa frowns.

Yeosang shrugs. “He didn’t say, but I think it has something to do with his parents.”

Seonghwa sighs. “Do they know he’s gay?” 

“I think if they did, Hongjoong-hyung wouldn’t be alive right now,” San nervously chuckles. “Well, I think his father would ground him for life. His mother would be okay with it.”

“She would,” Seonghwa confirms. “That reminds me. I haven’t talked to her in a while.”

“You two can talk when you get out of the hospital,” Mingi says. “You get released today, right?”

Seonghwa nods. “Yeah, and then I have to deal with PTSD for at least three months, I have to take medicine each day, and I also have to go to therapy. Yay.”

“It’ll be fun, hyung,” Wooyoung says, wrapping his arm around Seonghwa’s shoulder. “We’ll be there, in case you need a break once in a while.”

Seonghwa smiles, and leans his head against Wooyoung’s shoulder. “Thanks, guys. Love you.”

“We love you, too, hyung!”

\--

Around four-eighteen, Seonghwa gets released. His parents sign his release papers, and his parents and friends have rolled him out of the hospital. They all help Seonghwa get inside his parents’ car, and they pick up the wheelchair to put it in the trunk. As Seonghwa is putting on his seatbelt, he hears his phone beep, and he takes it out of his mother’s purse to see who it is. A smile graces his features, as he sees that it’s Hongjoong.

 **hongjoong:  
** hey hwa

 **seonghwa:** **  
**hey

 **seonghwa:  
** what’s up?

 **hongjoong:** **  
**are you still at the hospital?

 **seonghwa:** **  
**yeah

 **seonghwa:  
** i’m barely getting released right now

 **hongjoong:** **  
**oh ok

 **hongjoong:** **  
**sorry i couldn’t be there by the way

 **hongjoong:  
** something came up with my parents

 **seonghwa:** **  
**oh

 **seonghwa:  
** is everything okay?

 **hongjoong:** **  
**yeah

 **hongjoong:  
** damn it i have to leave now

 **hongjoong:  
** stay safe hwa <3

 **seonghwa:** **  
**i will <3

Seonghwa immediately turns red once he sees the ‘<3’ Hongjoong sent him. Of course, Seonghwa has to return it, but he still can’t believe it. Is Hongjoong basically telling him he loves him? That's too quick, right? But even if it is, Seonghwa finds himself not caring. He smiles down at his phone, even though he's soon interrupted when the door opens.

“Why are you smiling, hyung?” Jongho asks teasingly.

“Someone’s in love~” Yunho teases.

Seonghwa rolls his eyes, but the color of his face gives him away. “Sh-shut up.”

“You’re texting Hongjoong-hyung!” he hears Yeosang squeal next to him. “He sent you a heart!”

“Aw, that’s so sweet!” San coos.

“You guys are so embarrassing,” Seonghwa whines. 

Mingi gasps, as an idea finally comes to his head. “Are you and Hongjoong-hyung dating?!”

The others then gasp, too. “Are you?!”

“If I tell you the truth, will you guys shut up?” Seonghwa asks.

“We will,” the others promise in unison.

Seonghwa sighs, shaking his head, before finally saying, “Yes, we are dating.”

Immediately, the others erupt into cheers and chaos, hugging and jumping amongst each other. They would make Seonghwa join in, but right now he can’t, because of his ankle.

“Oh, we’re so happy for you guys!” Wooyoung squeals. “When did you guys start dating?”

“Yesterday,” Seonghwa mutters.

“And you didn’t tell us?” Jongho says in fake hurt.

“We didn’t want to overwhelm you guys,” Seonghwa explains. “Speaking of which, please don’t tell my parents. I don’t know how they’ll react, and I don’t want them to know yet, either.”

“We promise we won’t tell them anything,” Yunho assures.

“Yeah,” Yeosang agrees. “Our mouths are shut.”

“Not for long,” Seonghwa mumbles under his breath.

“Ah, you know us so well,” San giggles, seeming to have heard Seonghwa. “By the way, hyung, do you want us to come with you?”

“Where?” the oldest asks.

Mingi rolls his eyes. “To your house. Duh. Not like we’re going to a strip club.”

“We could,” Wooyoung points out.

“No,” Seonghwa immediately denies, making Wooyoung pout. “We don’t all fit in the car, though.”

“I brought mine,” Jongho says. 

“I call dibs to stay with Seonghwa-hyung!” Yunho announces quickly.

“Me, too!” Yeosang concurs before anyone else could.

“You guys are mean,” San pouts, crossing his arms.

“Hehe.” Yunho sticks his tongue out at San, making the younger do it back.

“Alright, children, are we ready to go?” Seonghwa’s dad questions.

“We’re not children, Mr. Park,” Mingi reminds.

“You guys act like it,” Seonghwa’s mom mutters. “Ready to go?”

The others nod.

“We’ll see you guys at hyung’s house!” Wooyoung calls out, as he, Jongho, San, and Mingi walk toward Jongho’s car.

“Bye!” Seonghwa waves, before closing the car door.

“Hey, do you guys think everything’s alright with Hongjoong-hyung?” Yunho inquires, as Seonghwa’s dad starts driving.

“Probably,” Yeosang mumbles. “If not, then I’m sure Hongjoong-hyung is okay.”

“Hopefully.” **  
**


	17. Final Chapter

“Thanks for the drive, Kim,” Hongjoong says, as his driver stops in front of his parents’ house.

“Don’t mention it,” the driver replies. “Also, Hongjoong, please try to not get in another fight with your parents. Especially in your father’s condition.”

“I…I’ll see what I can do,” Hongjoong says, unbuckling himself. “Thanks again, Kim.”

The driver nods, and Hongjoong gets out of the car. He walks toward the front door, and rings the doorbell, waiting for a reply. Earlier, his mom texted him and said he needed to come back home. When Hongjoong asked her why, she didn’t reply, leaving him on read. Hongjoong didn’t want to go, especially since he still had to see Seonghwa, but his mom wouldn’t stop bugging him about it. Eventually, he gave in, since he also wanted to tell his parents about his and Seonghwa’s new relationship.

“Hello, Mr. Kim,” one of the maids greet, as she opens the door. “Long time no see.”

“Hi, Im,” Hongjoong returns. “Are my parents home?”

The maid nods, letting him inside. “They’re both upstairs, but I think your mom’s coming downstairs now.”

As if on cue, they both hear footsteps walking down the stairs, and Hongjoong looks up, seeing his mom dressed in a simple black button-up with matching sweatpants, her hair up in a messy bun, heading toward him. Hongjoong already knows something’s wrong with the way his mom looks.

“Hongjoong!” she squeals, opening her arms to hug him. “God, it’s been so long since I last saw you. How have you been, sweetie?”

“I’ve been…fine, mom,” Hongjoong partially lies. “Why did you call me here?”

“Your father’s getting worse and worse,” his mom explains, starting to lead them upstairs. “The doctor says he’s nearing stage four, which is the worse one. I’m worried for him, Hongjoong.”

“Let me guess, you want _me_ to take over the company when he dies?”

“That’s the plan,” his mom agrees. “You’re the heir, Hongjoong. Unless you have children that are in college already, which I doubt.”

“I don’t want to be the new CEO,” Hongjoong reminds. “Can’t you find someone else? Cousin Mia has been wanting to be the CEO for so long. Give the position to her.”

“Hongjoong, you’re your father’s son,” his mom reminds. “Unless you die, then no one else can be the CEO but you.”

Hongjoong sighs. “No matter what I say or do, nothing is going to get me out of the CEO position, right?”

“Right,” his mom agrees. “Now, please behave. Your father almost had a heart attack this morning, and that was only because he thought he was in the bathroom.” Hongjoong almost bursts out laughing, but holds himself back, as he and his mom enter his father’s room. There are machines connected to him, and he’s lying down on the bed. Nasal prongs are connected to his nose, and his eyes are closed. His skin looks much paler than usual, and Hongjoong doesn’t even have to ask a doctor. He knows his father is going to die soon. “Byung-woo,” she calls out, “your son’s here.”

Hongjoong’s dad lets out a small groan, and he opens his eyes. “W-what is he doing here?”

“Nice to see you, too,” Hongjoong grumbles under his breath. “Hello, father.”

“W-what are you doing here, Hongjoong?” he demands.

“I didn’t want to come here,” Hongjoong says. “Mom kept insisting, so I just gave in. If you don’t want me here, I’ll gladly leave.”

“Stay, Hongjoong,” his mom orders sternly. “You’re not leaving until I say you can.”

Hongjoong rolls his eyes, crossing his arms. “Well, can this hurry up? I need to go to the hospital.”

“W-why?” his father asks.

“Seonghwa’s in the hospital,” Hongjoong explains.

His mom’s eyes widen. “Oh, my. Is he alright?”

“He’s fine,” Hongjoong assures. “Why did you need me here, mom?”

“I-it’s obvious I’m going to die soon,” his father replies for her. “Y-your mother just made you come here, so you could say your final goodbye.”

“I’m sure I was asking mom, not you,” Hongjoong says coldly.

“Hongjoong,” she warns.

“I-if you’re going to be rude, get out,” his father snaps. 

“Both of you, stop it!” his mom exclaims. “I brought Hongjoong here, so you two could talk, Byung-woo. I didn’t bring him here, so you two could fight! Geez, that’s all you guys do! Don’t you get tired?”

“Tell my dad to stop being a brat, then,” Hongjoong kvetches. 

“Kim Hongjoong, one my complaint comes out of your mouth-”

“You’ll do what?” he challenges. “Ground me? It seems as if you’ve forgotten, but I’m turning twenty in a few weeks. I don’t live here anymore, either. So you’ll do what, mother?”

She sighs, running her hands through her hair. “Can we for once enjoy our time as a family? Please?”

Hongjoong’s father sighs. “F-fine.”

“Thank you,” Hongjoong’s mom says. She looks at her son. “Hongjoong?”

“Fine.”

“Thank you,” his mom repeats. “Now sit down, Hongjoong. I want to talk to you.”

Hongjoong raises an eyebrow, but still sits down on the seat his mom motions to. “About what?”

“Anything,” she replies. “Do you have anything you want to tell us?”

Hongjoong purses his lips, and looks between his parents. Sure, his driver and mom have warned him to not say anything that might anger his father, but he’d be dead soon, anyway. It's now or never, right?

“Actually, I do,” he says.

His mother’s eyes light up. “What is it?”

“I…I have a boyfriend,” Hongjoong finally admits.

“You what?!” his father exclaims. “Kim Hongjoong-”

“I am old enough to make my own decisions,” he interrupts. “You don’t control my life, father. You never have. And yes, you heard right. I have a boyfriend.”

His mother seems surprised, but a small smile grows on her face. She reaches out, holding Hongjoong’s hand in hers. “Who?”

“Seonghwa,” he replies. “We barely got together just yesterday.”

“Aww,” his mom coos. “Congrats, sweetie.”

“Why are you congratulating him?!” Hongjoong’s father exclaims. “Our son is a _faggot_ , Jin-joo! He’s a disgrace!”

“Don’t talk about our son like that!” she yells back. “He’s our _son_ , Byung-woo, and we have to accept his sexuality, whether we like it or not.”

“No, we don’t!” Hongjoong’s father scowls. “Kim Hongjoong, you are a disgrace to this family. Get the fuck out of my house, and don’t ever return.”

“If you really think about it,” Hongjoong says, “this is mom’s house. _She_ bought it with her own money. Father, you only got rich, because of mom. Without her, you’d be a nobody. So, really, it’s mom’s decision whether I get to leave the house or not.” He turns to look at his mom, who looks surprised. “What do you think, mom? Do you want me to leave?”

His mom shakes her head, and engulfs him in a hug. “Of course not.”

“Jin-joo-”

“Kim Byung-woo, for once, just shut the hell up!” she yells. “You know, I married you because I thought I loved you. You pretended to be a man I once loved but now look. I don’t even recognize you.”

“Are you…are you saying we should get a divorce?” Hongjoong’s father hesitantly asks.

“No,” his wife sighs. “If you do get better, we will, but since you’re sick, we’re not. However, I don’t want you to touch or kiss me. We might be married, but there’s no love between us anymore, Byung-woo.”

“Wait, don’t _your_ parents own the company, mom?” Hongjoong asks.

His mom raises an eyebrow at him. “Yeah. Why?”

“That means _you_ can the CEO!” Hongjoong says. _“You_ were the original heir, mom, but then you met dad, so he became the CEO. You can be the CEO, mom!”

“I can,” she mutters, barely realizing it. “Wait, are you just saying this, so you don’t get to be the CEO?”

Hongjoong shakes his head. “I swear I’m not. You can even call grandma or grandpa if you don’t believe me.”

“I believe you,” his mom assures. “Guess I’m the new CEO, then.”

Hongjoong accidentally lets out a sigh of relief, but his mom doesn’t mind. “So…is that all?”

“No,” she replies. “It’s been forever since we last hung out, Hongjoong. Remember our old son and mom days? I miss those.”

“I miss those, too, mom,” he agrees. Those were the days Hongjoong and his mom were the closest. They would talk and talk about anything and anyone. Hongjoong was always closer to his mom than he ever was to his dad. But if you asked him, Hongjoong would say he would miss his dad if he ever passed away. 

“Great!” his mom squeals. “Then let’s start!”

\--

“Hey, Hongjoong-hyung just texted me,” Yunho announces, as he, Seonghwa, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho sit around in Seonghwa’s living room.

“What did he say?” he asks.

“He said he just told his parents about your guys’ relationship,” Yunho informs, his eyes widening.

“H-how’d they take it?” Seonghwa says.

“Well, his dad obviously didn’t like it,” Yunho starts. “But his mom was surprisingly okay with it. He also found out that he doesn’t have to the CEO anymore since his mom is the original heir.”

“Wow, I’m so happy for him,” Yeosang says, smiling. “He can pursue his own dreams, then.”

“What about his dad?” San questions. “Is he dead yet?”

“He’s…about to be,” Yunho responds. “He’s barely getting into stage four of his cancer, which is the worse stage.”

“Well, he’s going to die soon,” San sighs.

“Why do you sound so calm?” Mingi mutters.

“Well, I never really did like Hongjoong-hyung’s dad, to begin with,” San says. “He was a judgemental bastard. I feel bad for Hongjoong-hyung. Especially since his dad was homophobic, too.”

“At least now he’s getting away from all that,” Wooyoung says pointedly. “I’ma ask him if he can come over.”

“Don’t, Wooyoung,” Seonghwa says.

“Aww, why not?” Wooyoung whines.

“He’s probably enjoying his day with his mom,” Jongho reminds. “We should let them.”

“Fine,” Wooyoung gives in. “I’m kinda getting hungry now.”

“We barely ate nineteen minutes ago,” Seonghwa states.

“I’m still hungry.”

“Oh my god, Wooyoung.”

“Guys,” Yunho calls out. “There’s going to be a trial for Jimin.”

“What’s that?” Yeosang asks.

“It’s, like, when the bad person goes to court to find out what his punishment is from the judge,” San explains. “Where did you learn that from, Yunho?”

“It says here on the news,” he replies. “It says, ‘Park Jimin, son of famous CEO Park Do-Hyun, is sent for trial for attempted murder, rape, and abuse toward Park Seonghwa.’ How do they even know Seonghwa-hyung’s name?”

“The police,” Mingi sighs. “Is it going to be on the TV?”

“I think so,” Yunho mutters, scrolling down the article. “It’s going to be on channel six tomorrow at six p.m.”

“You wanna watch it, hyung?” Wooyoung questions Seonghwa.

“I-I don’t see why not,” he answers, a bit hesitantly. “Wait, how are they going to the trial when Jimin’s in New York, and I’m here in Korea?”

“They have the evidence from the doctors, and when we spoke with the FBI,” Jongho guesses. “I think they think it’ll be too much work for you to come back and forth between New York and Korea, so they’re just doing what they can.”

“Hopefully, they can win the trial, or Seonghwa-hyung’s life is in danger again,” Yunho says.

“Let’s not think about that,” Seonghwa chuckles nervously. “For now, let’s just hope Jimin gets the punishment he deserves.”

\--

For the rest of the day, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho spend it together. They get occasional texts from Hongjoong, saying he's fine, or asking what they're up to. Seonghwa gets to convince the others to stay over, and they go to sleep about six minutes after midnight.

(usually, they would’ve slept around two a.m. or later, but today, they are somehow too tired.)

Now, Seonghwa’s the last one to wake up, finding his bed empty, as well as the floor. Guessing by the voices outside, the others are already awake.

Seonghwa sighs, sitting up on the bed. Usually, he’d call out for someone to come help him up, since he can’t do it by himself, but this time, he doesn’t want to bother anyone. He’d also need to know how to get by himself if one day nobody’s home. 

Placing his fists down on the bed, Seonghwa uses the strength he currently has to pull his body up. He’s successful, but he doesn’t know how he’s going to get to his wheelchair that’s six feet away. Sure, he has crutches, but they’re three feet away from him, and the last time he tried to jump on one leg, he almost broke it. He isn’t going to do that again.

“How am I going to do this?” he mutters to himself, thinking of a plan. 

Deciding to risk it, Seonghwa makes one long jump and thankfully arrives at the wall. He grabs his crutches, but, because of how shaky his hands are, he ends up making them fall. He lets out a groan, cursing himself, and trying to figure out how he's going to get to his wheelchair now.

“Seonghwa?” he hears a familiar voice say behind him. “You okay?”

Seonghwa turns around, relieved to see Hongjoong walking inside his current room. “No, I’m not. I can’t get to my wheelchair.” Hongjoong chuckles, making Seonghwa pout at him. “Hey, it’s not funny.”

“Sorry, Hwa.” Hongjoong sheepishly smiles, and walks toward Seonghwa. The older expects Hongjoong to hand him his crutches, or at least lend him a hand, but instead, Hongjoong puts his arms behind Seonghwa’s knees and back, picking him up bridal style. Seonghwa wraps his arms around Hongjoong’s neck in instinct.

“Hongjoong, what are you doing?” Seonghwa nervously asks. “P-put me down.”

“No thanks,” Hongjoong replies. “I can carry you, Hwa. You’re not that heavy.”

“Yes, I am,” he whines. “Put me down, Hongjoong.”

“You’re not heavy, Hwa,” he repeats, unfolding the wheelchair. Hongjoong finally places Seonghwa down, but the older wraps his arm around Hongjoong’s neck to keep his balance. With Hongjoong’s help, Seonghwa sits down in the wheelchair.

“Thanks,” he says, sighing in relief.

“You’re welcome.” Hongjoong smiles. He leans down, and presses a kiss against Seonghwa’s lips, before pulling away.

“H-Hongjoong!” he exclaims, his face turning red.

“What?” Hongjoong chuckles. “It’s not like we haven’t kissed before.”

“I-I know, but a warning would be nice,” Seonghwa mutters.

Hongjoong laughs, and presses a kiss on top of Seonghwa’s head. “I’m sorry. Ready to go?”

Seonghwa just nods, too embarrassed to say anything. Hongjoong snickers, and starts pushing Seonghwa out of his current room. He pushes Seonghwa until they’re at the dining room, where Seonghwa’s parents, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho are eating breakfast.

“Hyung!” Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho squeal in unison.

“Morning, everyone,” Seonghwa greets. Hongjoong places him next to Yunho and between an empty chair. Seonghwa guesses it’s Hongjoong’s.

“How are you feeling today, Seonghwa?” his mom asks, as she serves him a plate of breakfast.

“I’m feeling fine,” he replies.

“Did you…get any nightmares?” his dad hesitantly says.

“Surprisingly, no,” Seonghwa says, and he thanks his mom, as she places a plate down in front of him.

“That means you’re going to get one later in the day,” Hongjoong sighs. “Eat your breakfast, so you can take your pills, Hwa.”

“Yes, dad,” he answers sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

Though, once Seonghwa says ‘yes, dad’ Yunho bursts out laughing, making Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho burst out laughing, too, almost spitting out their food.

“What’s so funny, guys?” Seonghwa’s mom asks, looking at the youngers in confusion.

“I-it’s nothing, Mrs. Park,” Yunho assures. “W-we just saw something funny.”

“Oh, you guys are so dirty-minded!” Hongjoong laughs once he gets the joke.

Seonghwa doesn’t get the joke, though. “Yeah, what’s so funny, guys?”

Hongjoong, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Jongho look at each other, laughing as they decide whether or not to explain the joke Seonghwa and his parents.

“H-hyung, you basically called Hongjoong-hyung… _daddy_ ,” Yeosang finally explains.

Seonghwa’s parents still look confused, whilst Seonghwa tries to think about what Yeosang means. Eventually, he gets what Yeosang meant, and his face immediately turns red.

“Y-you guys are so nasty!” he exclaims.

“You were the one that said ‘yes, dad’, not us,” San reminds.

“J-just…shut up,” Soenghwa mutters, as he shoves a spoonful of food inside his mouth, ignoring the others’ snicker.

“I don’t even have a daddy kink, anyway,” Hongjoong mutters, making the youngers snicker.

“Hongjoong, we are with my _parents_ ,” Seonghwa grits out. “Can you please keep your dirty comments to yourself?”

“Oh, now I get it!” Seonghwa’s dad says before he laughs. “That was a good joke, guys. If you don’t have a daddy kink, Hongjoong, what kind of kink do you have?”

Hongjoong shrugs. “Any type of name is okay. I don’t really mind.”

“Why are you guys even talking about this?” Seonghwa’s mom sighs. “This is where we eat.”

“Yes! Thank you, mom,” Seonghwa says.

Seonghwa’s dad waves them off. “You two are so dramatic. But…why _are_ you guys talking about this? Seonghwa and Hongjoong aren’t dating.”

Hongjoong and Seonghwa look at each other, before looking down at their plates. Seonghwa’s mom seems to notice the look, and her eyes widen, a gasp falling out of her lips.

“You guys _are_ dating!” she exclaims, making her husband’s eyes widen as well.

“Ah, finally you guys find out,” Mingi says in relief. “I thought we’d have to keep it a secret forever.”

“Mingi!” Seonghwa hisses, kicking his shin with his good leg.

“Oops.” Mingi realizes his mistake, nervously chuckling. “I mean…what?? Hongjoong and Seonghwa hyung aren’t dating…”

“We all know they are,” Wooyoung states. “Sorry, hyungs. We couldn’t keep it a secret forever.”

“You guys wanted to keep a secret?” Seonghwa’s dad asks. “Why?”

“W-we- well, _I_ thought you guys were going to be overwhelmed,” Seonghwa explains. “And also say we couldn’t date, because of my condition. I’ve been wanting to date Hongjoong for a long time, and I didn’t want to turn down the opportunity… I’m really sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about,” Seonghwa’s mom assures, grabbing her son’s hand. “I’m so glad you two are dating.”

Hongjoong looks relieved. “Thank you, Mrs. Park.”

“Just to warn you, Hongjoong,” Seonghwa’s dad says, “whatever you do to Seonghwa, I’ll do to you.”

“W-what if Hongjoong and Seonghwa hyung have sex?” Jongho asks. Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, and Wooyoung want to burst out laughing at how serious his tone and face look. “Are you…going to have sex with Hongjoong, too, Mr. Park?”

“Of course not!” he exclaims. “Jongho, get your mind out of the gutter, please. What I meant was that if Hongjoong hurts Seonghwa, I’ll hurt him, too.”

“You could’ve just said that instead then, Park,” Seonghwa’s mom mutters, making everyone snicker.

Seonghwa shakes his head, deciding to change the subject. _“Anyway_ , the others found out that Jimin’s going to trial today.”

Seonghwa’s parents tense up at Jimin’s name, but they calm down when they understand what Seonghwa said.

“What time?” his dad questions.

“At six p.m,” Yunho replies.

“Do you guys want to watch it?” Hongjoong says.

“I do,” Yeosang grumbles. “I want to see the punishment that son of a bitch gets.”

“Me, too,” San agrees. 

“Then we’re all watching it,” Seonghwa’s mom decides.

\--

When it is five minutes before six, they all sit down in the living room. Seonghwa’s dad turns the TV on, and goes to channel six. There are commercials on, but when it's finally six, it changes to the trial channel.

“Does anyone want popcorn?” Mingi calls out from the kitchen.

“I do!” Wooyoung replies.

“Why are you guys making popcorn?” Jongho sighs.

“We about to watch some tea,” Mingi explains. “Don’t _you_ want popcorn, too, Jongho?”

The youngest thinks about it for a bit, before nodding. The rest hear the judge explain why Jimin is here, and Seonghwa’s grip on Hongjoong’s hand tightens the more the judge explains. A picture of Seonghwa at the hospital appears, as well as a photo with Jimin and Seonghwa. Then, the screen changes to show Jimin in a nice suit with a man next to him. It's probably his lawyer. On the other side are the defendants of Seonghwa, and the judge lets them speak first.

“Here’s the popcorn,” Mingi announces, setting down a big bowl full of popcorn in the coffee table.

“Thanks, Mingi,” Seonghwa mutters, grabbing a big handful.

Mingi nods, shoving some popcorn in his mouth. They continue watching the trial, and when Jimin is allowed to go up to where the judge is, the other lawyer goes up to him, starting to ask some questions.

“Now, Jimin, where did you take Park Seonghwa on the fourth of this month?” the lawyer asks.

“I took him to an abandoned building,” Jimin replies truthfully.

“Why did you do that?” the lawyer continues.

“He deserved what was coming to him,” Jimin says, not bothering to defend himself.

“And what did he do to deserve what was coming to him?”

“Act like a brat,” Jimin grumbles. “He also cheated on me when I was faithful to him.”

“Jimin!” his lawyer says in a warning tone. “Objection, your honor!”

The judge holds up his hand, looking at the other lawyer. “You may continue.”

“Are you sure you were faithful to him?” he resumes.

“Yes,” Jimin replies with no hesitation. “I treated him like a prince, and he cheated on me in return! He deserved what was coming to him.”

“No, I didn’t,” Seonghwa mutters to himself.

“We know you didn’t, Hwa,” Hongjoong assures.

The lawyer continues to ask Jimin more questions for about four more minutes, before Jimin admits that indeed he did abuse, rape, and try to kill Seonghwa. Meanwhile, the said male is watching everything happen through the screen, adrenaline pumping through his veins. He suddenly starts to feel as if he’s trapped, and starts to sweat. The memories of what Jimin did to him start to run in his mind, and tears start to fall from his eyes. 

“N-no!” he screams. “G-get him away!”

Immediately, the others turn toward him, trying to get him to calm down. Seonghwa’s dad goes to retrieve Seonghwa’s pills from the counter, and comes back with them a glass of water.

“Seonghwa, sweetie, I need you to swallow these,” his mom says, slowly approaching him.

Seonghwa’s conscience is telling him to calm down because it knows the person approaching him is his mom, but Seonghwa’s mind tells him it’s Jimin. “G-get him away from me! H-help!”

“Seonghwa, baby, calm down,” Hongjoong coaxes, brushing back Seonghwa’s hair. The older looks from his mom to Hongjoong, slowly doing as he is told. “That’s good, baby. Take deep breaths. Can you do that for me, sweetheart? Just follow my example.” He starts showing Seonghwa how to take deep breaths in and out, and Seonghwa follows him. He lets Hongjoong place the pills in his mouth, and put some water in his mouth. Seonghwa gulps the pills down, and Hongjoong pulls him to his chest. Seonghwa soon starts to calm down, breathing heavily.

“H-hyung, you okay?” Yunho hesitantly asks.

Seonghwa weakly nods. “Y-yeah. Thanks.”

“Do you want to go to your room?” Hongjoong whispers in his ear.

Seonghwa weakly nods again. “P-please.”

Hongjoong nods this time, and helps Seonghwa onto his wheelchair. He pushes Seonghwa toward his room, and once they arrive, Hongjoong helps Seonghwa get onto his bed.

“Get some rest, okay?” Hongjoong says softly, pulling the sheets up to Seonghwa’s chin.

“J-Joong?” he calls out before the younger can walk away.

Hongjoong turns around. “Yeah?”

“C-can you stay with me?” Seonghwa questions. “O-or until I fall asleep?”

Hongjoong smiles, and he nods. “Of course.”

\--

The next day, both Hongjoong and Seonghwa find out that Jimin had lost the trial. The judge sentenced him to seventeen years in prison. By then, Jimin would be forty-one, and he’d still be in New York. So, Seonghwa makes a mental note to himself to never go to New York ever again, or until Jimin is dead. Seonghwa does have another attack whilst he sleeps, but thankfully, the others are there to help calm him down. His attacks keep coming each night whilst he sleeps, and if they don’t, they happen sometime during the day. Though they are lucky at rare times, and Seonghwa wouldn’t have an attack at all the whole day. With the help of his medication and therapy, Seonghwa’s PTSD slowly goes away, and three months and two weeks after the whole incident happened, his PTSD mostly goes away.

Hongjoong’s and Seonghwa’s relationship continues. Hongjoong is always there for Seonghwa, especially when his attacks occur. Hongjoong would be the most helpful when they happen, since he'd be able to calm Seonghwa down the most.

Eventually, they have dinner with Hongjoong’s mom. Sadly, Hongjoong’s dad gets to stage four of his cancer and dies two weeks after his sickness is in its fourth stage. When Hongjoong, his mom, and Seonghwa have dinner together, Hongjoong’s mom is already starting to make their wedding plans, and she ends up showing Seonghwa all of Hongjoong’s baby pictures. Even the ones he doesn’t know about. They also make plans when to eat with Seonghwa’s parents, and have that dinner two weeks later.

Seonghwa is luckily available to go back to school. His bullet wound heals in ten days, and his ankle heals in four weeks. Thanks to his schoolwork getting delivered to his house, Seonghwa isn’t that far behind his work and can follow along in class. Eventually, everyone knows about Hongjoong’s and Seonghwa’s relationship. A few are surprised because they didn’t know Hongjoong would turn out to be gay, but most of them are happy for them. Even Mark cries a few happy tears. 

Of course, Hongjoong and Seonghwa have their arguments here and there, but that's normal for every couple. After a year of dating, the two finally move into their own apartment. Yunho and Mingi, Yeosang and Jongho, and San and Wooyoung also continue to date, and soon move into their own place as well. The eight continue to study at their university and graduate together. Hongjoong graduates with his major in songwriting and producing in music—speaking of which, his mom doesn’t mind when she finds out about his major. Seonghwa graduates with his major in literature, Yunho with his in dancing, Yeosang in operations, San in medicine, Mingi in rapping, Wooyoung in singing, and Jongho with his major in athletic training.

Soon, they all get jobs: Hongjoong, Mingi, and Wooyoung get hired at a music company named KQ Entertainment, Seonghwa’s first book becomes a best-seller, Yunho becomes a dance teacher, Yeosang gets hired at an organization, San becomes the best-known doctor in Korea, and Jongho gets hired at an athletic rehabilitation building.

Then, they all start getting married. Unsurprisingly, Hongjoong and Seonghwa get married first at a rose court garden. Then, Yeosang and Jongho get married, San and Wooyoung, and finally Yunho and Mingi. And of course, they all have kids: Hongjoong and Seonghwa adopt two little girls, Yunho and Mingi adopt three little girls, Yeosang and Jongho adopt a little boy, and San and Wooyoung adopt a little girl.

Thankfully, none of them hear from Jimin ever again. Though they do hear Jimin is eventually sentenced to death, but they don’t know anything else after that.

And of course, they all live happily ever after. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this marks the end of this book :’) thank you, everyone, who read this kind of shitty book. btw i don’t mean any hate to jimin. i love him, and he’s an angel irl. idk why i even made him the bad guy in this story. anyway, i hope all of you enjoyed reading as much as i enjoyed writing this book. thank you to everyone who stayed until the end. i love you all <3

**Author's Note:**

> title: wayv’s “love talk”


End file.
